Harry Potter and the Journey of the Cursed King
by Ranma XLR
Summary: If you're going to read any story tonight, then give this one a try. Summary: Harry is reeling, and recovering, from the events of his fifth year at Hogwarts, when he is suddenly whisked away into another world, with nothing more than the glasses on his face. How will he get back home?
1. Prologue

**This story is also listed in the Harry Potter section, but one of my reviewers suggested I put it here. So here it is!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**Summary:** Starts in the middle of the summer after Harry's 5th year. Harry is recovering- both mentally and physically- from his encounter with the Dark Lord Voldemort, and losing Sirius, when he is suddenly whisked away into another world, with nothing more than the clothes on his back, and a few allies who take him under their wing.

_A sceptre spoken of in lore...  
And sealed away since the days of yore,  
Unleashes its forbidden power.  
And heralds Trodain's darkest hour._

Your quest has begun!

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King!  
Chapter 00: Mirrored  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

"Sirius!"

It was with that exclamation that Harry Potter woke in the smallest bedroom in Number Four Privet Drive.

'Only a dream,' He thought to himself as the adrenaline rush he felt earlier slowly wore off.

He stared outside, through the room's window. It was night time. The moon was at its highest peak in the night. He had not slept that much it seemed.

He had trouble sleeping ever since he lost his Godfather, Sirius Black.

That's not to say he was getting over it, far from it. He realized a little while back that moping around thinking about the "what-ifs" would do no one any good.

'It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.' A voice in his head spoke wisely. Those were the words his headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had given to him when he kept sneaking around to the Mirror of Erised in his first year.

He absentmindedly looked at the letter his Headmaster had sent him, two days before. He had read it enough times to recite it by heart. It read:

_Dear Harry,_

_If it is convenient to you, I shall call at number four, Privet Drive this coming Friday at eleven p.m. to escort you to the Burrow, where you have been invited to spend the remainder of your school holidays._

_If you are agreeable, I should also be glad of your assistance in a matter to which I hope to attend on the way to the Burrow. I shall explain this more fully when I see you._

_Kindly send your answer by return of this owl. Hoping to see you this Friday,_

_I am, yours most sincerely,_

_-Albus__ Dumbledore_

As it was Thursday night, right now, he had about a day left to come.

'Better make sure I didn't sleep an entire day, Merlin knows I've done it before,' Harry thought, before going to his dresser which housed his digital clock. His uncle had bought the old rackety dresser for him, believe it or not. He had moved it in his room, in the way of appeasing him for the summer time. It had an oval mirror on its top, and a fair amount of drawers, which helped Harry put miscellaneous things. When Harry had enquired on the nature of its origins, the fat necked man had said he found it at an old pawn shop.

Figures.

He glanced at the clock.

'Thursday 11:59:50 PM'

He made to turn away, to sit in the chair beside his bedroom's window, but something stopped him.

He looked at the clock.

51.

He froze. Something was wrong.

52.

He looked around.

53.

The air felt heavy. It was as if there was something with him.

54.

No... Not something. A sort of force.

55.

It was all around him, pulsing with immeasurable power.

56.

It 'felt' like it was compressing now, Harry gained his breath.

57.

The feeling was there, but it seemed to be coalescing around something... But what?

58.

The pressure came back full force, Harry noted that it was coming from the mirror.

59.

The clock stopped at 11:59:59 PM. Harry looked around. Everything was deathly still. He grabbed a pen that was next to the clock, held it in front of his face, and let go of it. It didn't move a single millimeter, as far as he could tell.

"Bloody hell." He spoke but no sound came out.

What was going on?

'Wait a second... It's the mirror?' Harry looked up, into the mirror.

There was no reflection.

There was only light.

A light that was growing stronger and stronger.

"Ah bugger." And with that, Harry Potter was consumed by the eerie white light.

**ooooooooooo**

_Elsewhere..._

Harry Potter woke, once again. He seemed to be inside of a wagon, of all things. His neck felt stiff, and his muscles sore. Whatever happened to him? He faintly noted the sound of a river flowing.

Wait. A river? But he was smack dab in Little Whinging!

He got up to move, but his muscles protested. He huffed, annoyed. He could hear voices outside. Harry focused.

"-beats me 'ow you ended up workin' for an old codger like 'im!" Harry heard someone saying. The language employed had 'street thug' written all over it.

"Not that I can talk, though, eh! Guess people say the same thing about me workin' for you." The man continued. Harry heard someone else laugh. It had a boyish quality to it. Maybe someone closer to his age.

Harry peeked out of the wagon. He was greeted by the sight of three people, surrounded by forest trees. Two of them looked normal enough. He immediately attributed the deep, gruff voice to the stocky looking man. He wore puffy blue pants, and a brown fur vest. On his head, was a spiky shell, fashioned like a helmet. On the left side of his face was an X shaped scar. The man looked like he'd been in many fights.

Next to him, stood a young man. He had brown hair underneath his red bandana, and black eyes. His outfit consisted of gray pants, black boots, a blue, long sleeved shirt, topped by an orange jacket. The right side of the jacket had a rather large pocket, which contained a cute little rodent. On the young man's back, rested a sword.

The third person... Well, Harry couldn't even say it was a person, really. It was green. And wrinkly. And it was wearing orange.

"Hm? Old codger? I do hope you're not referring to me!" A royal sounding voice came out of the freaky little toad, which startled Harry, "What would you know?! A lowlife like you wouldn't recognize nobility if it came up and bit you on the... arrrgh!" The green plump looking... person said.

The gruff man and the green man were glaring at each other, when suddenly, the green midget stopped and looked at the young man in alarm.

"Enough dilly-dallying! Dante! Where's the Princess? I can't see her anywhere...," The green toad spoke urgently.

'So that man is Dante. Wait, a princess?' Harry wondered, from the safety of the wagon. He decided it was time to step out.

Bad idea.

As soon as he stepped out, a horde of- 'Were those drops of water with faces?' Harry thought- jumped out of the depths of the forest and landed in front of him.

The other three seemed to have noticed their arrival.

"Uh-oh! Here comes trouble, guv!" The gruff looking man said before, pulling his spiked club and rushing to Harry's aid. The young man unsheathed his sword and jumped over, as well.

Harry oddly noted that the creatures attacking him felt slimy to the touch. As one attempted to attack him, he swatted it away with his bare hands. It fell to the ground, and disappeared.

'Huh.' Harry idly noted the other two being finished off by Dante and the gruff looking guy.

As the commotion ended, Harry turned to the other two men, unsure of what to say. All he remembered was falling asleep in his room, and now he was in the middle of a forest, fighting slimy little droplets of... whatever that was!

"Well... They certainly took us by surprise. But nothing we couldn't handle, eh?!" The toady looking man said. The young man, Dante, had his arms crossed, and the gruff man had his hands on his hips, looking expectantly at him.

The green man took notice of him.

"Ohh. You're finally awake! How are you feeling, Mr..?" The green toad trailed off, before jumping up in alarm. He didn't give Harry any time to answer.

"Oh, excuse my manners! My name is Trode, and I am the King of Trodain Castle, even if I don't look the part right now...," The green bean, Trode said. He turned to the young man, Dante.

"And here is my retainer, Dante. And this thug of a man is Yangus." He finished, drawing a glare from the gruff man, Yangus. Dante simply waved with a smile.

"Oi, grandad! Watch wo' ya say!" Yangus growled at Trode, who seemed to realize something.

Completely ignoring Yangus, the height challenged king said, "Now, where's the Princess!? Where's my Medea!? My precious one and only daughter!?" He ran around the clearing they stood in, looking around worriedly.

'A daughter? Ugh,' Harry thought with a grimace. Dante looked at him in amusement, probably having figured out his line of thought.

Harry heard soft gallops against the ground. He turned to see a beautiful white horse with a brown mane slowly walking towards them. The horse's eyes seemed somewhat humanlike.

"Ah! There you are! Thank goodness you're safe, Medea!" Trode exclaimed as he hurried over.

Distantly noting that the little toad's run just looked hilarious, Harry spoke.

"Your daughter is a horse?" Bewilderment laced every word.

Looks like he was in for a loooong day.

**oooooooooo**

**What do you think?**


	2. Journey Begins!

I guess the Harry Potter scene is much different than that of the Naruto scene. First chapter barely got any views! Then again it could be my small amount of words.

**NOTE:** Yangus, the gruff guy, has a large list of bad vocabulary he employs, so don't think it's me making mistakes. It's his way of talking.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 01: Journey Begins!  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

Harry sat on one of the back of the carriage he'd woken up in. The sound of the horse's -no, Medea's- galloping and the liveliness of all the nature around him invaded his senses. Everything about this place just felt so different!

Just where exactly was he?

When Harry had asked these people for directions to London, they looked at him as if he was insane. They'd said they never heard of a London in their entire lives.

'Preposterous,' He thought to himself. He would need to get a hold of a map and figure out exactly where he was so he could get to his house. No doubt, the Order would be looking everywhere for him, once Dumbledore realizes he's not at Number Four Privet Drive any longer. It was only a matter of time.

Harry thought back to these travelers that had graciously allowed him to accompany them to the nearest town, so he could take a look at a map of the world and figure out how to go home. They had even given him some of their clothing and a small amount of gold.

'King' Trode, the little green midget had explained their predicament to him.

Apparently an evil wizard dressed like a jester named Dhoulmagus, had cast a curse on the King of Trodain and his daughter Medea. Trode had turned into a little green troll, whereas Medea had been forced to become a beautiful white horse. Dante, formerly a guardsman at their kingdom, had escaped unscathed, whereas the rest of the town had been overrun with magically powerful vines. The people had been put in some sort of unbreakable, deep sleep.

Yangus had simply explained that he had a debt to repay to Dante- or "the guv", as Yangus put it- but didn't elaborate. Harry didn't ask any questions.

They had told him that they were pursuing this Dhoulmagus fellow in order to find a way to cancel the curse. They would either force him to remove it, or simply kill him to remove it. Harry had blanched at the casual mention of murder, but one look at Medea's sad demeanor and the way she pulled the carriage had pulled at Harry's heart strings.

He slapped himself in the face, and quickly got off the carriage to reduce Medea's towing load. Harry quickly made his way to walk next to Dante and Yangus, standing to the left of Dante, who looked at him and gave a nod of acknowledgement, which Harry returned with a grin.

They had travelled a little ways down the trail, fighting some odd looking monsters, like a dancing goat playing a horn (which made him more and more uneasy as they approached the town), before Harry finally saw the town they were headed to. Yangus ran ahead of them to a hill top to look at the town. Harry noted there was a large pillar of smoke rising from it.

"You see that? I wonder what happened there." Harry said to the others, before looking back at the town again. It was surrounded by a wide moat, and had only one entrance. Its walls were considerably high.

'Probably to keep those monsters out,' Harry reasoned. 'But why would they employ such a primitive looking protection?' Harry was starting to realize something. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around it, yet. So he just ignored it.

They headed for the entrance, which was opened up by the sentries standing guard.

The houses were made of wood, but looked very sturdy in their construction. There were many stairs leading to another level of the city, where more houses and shops were built. There even seemed to be a bar up there.

Harry distantly noted the lack of technology, as they passed the market place. People stared at them, or more likely, at Trode.

Harry understood they were probably looking at Trode, who was waving happily at everyone.

It wasn't really surprising, since he looked like a pruned up green vegetable.

The ragtag party finally pulled into the town square and stopped. Trode jumped down the ground and started looking around.

"Yes. Yes! Here we are. If my memory serves me correctly, this is the place. This is the town where Master Rylus lives."

Yangus interjected. "Hold yer 'orses, granddad! I thought it was Dhoulmagus we was after."

"I AM NOT YOUR GRANDAD!" Trode seethed in annoyance, "And of course Dhoulmagus is our man! He's the one who turned Medea and I into such laughing stocks!" He took a breath.

"But that dastardly magician can't hide from us forever! We must track him down and lift this confounded curse! Oh! Just look at my poor Medea! And we'd only just settled on her engagement to the Prince of Argonia... Oh, that despicable Dhoulmagus!"

Harry, having heard that rant back in the clearing, mostly tuned it out. He looked around and saw a few shops, and nodded to himself. He could start gathering information about how to acquire a world map there.

Trode turned to Dante. "That's why it's imperative we locate Rylus! Will you go and find him, Dante?"

Dante just nodded and told Yangus to come along. He headed to Harry to get him to come too.

"Alright, I'll help you. But only after I finish looking for a map of the world. Perhaps I can figure out where exactly I am and how far away from home I am." Harry answered, rather shakily. He had a distinct feeling that he was not going to like the answers he would find, but shook it off for the moment.

Harry shook hands with Dante and Yangus, and went his own way, waving at Trode and Medea.

After walking for a while, Harry headed to the nearest shop in the market place.

He was greeted by the sight of a pudgy looking man talking to the shop owner of the adjacent stand.

"You know, something's been bothering me... There was a strange man here the other day. He was dressed like a jester, so I thought maybe he was some kind of travelling entertainer. But there was something creepy about him... I wonder if he's still in town."

That set Harry on edge. Dhoulmagus was here? He'd have to tell the others when he met up with them.

First things first; Harry walked up to the shop. The owner noticed his presence and smiled.

"Hello, sir! May I be of service?" He genially said.

With a polite nod, Harry began. "Yes. I was wondering if you had a map of the world. I wish to locate a certain city to see how long it would take me to get there."

The shop keeper frowned.

"Ah. I apologize. While I do possess a map of the world, I do not wish to sell it." The man answered apologetically.

Thinking quickly, Harry suggested amiably, "Well, would it be agreeable if you allowed me to simply allowed me to look at it?"

The owner gave him a calculating look, as if trying to see the merit in such a decision. His eyes lit up.

"Why, yes! Yes it would. However, you will have to pay me a fee... Say, thirty gold coins?" The man spoke.

"Ten." Harry countered.

"Twenty!" The shop keeper answered quickly.

"Fifteen." Harry suggested.

"Deal!" And with that, they shook hands. Harry learned that skill from his surrogate mother, Molly Weasley.

Harry put his hand in his gold bag, and fished out 15 gold coins. He handed them to the man, who opened up a side door for the stand. Taking that as his queue to enter, Harry followed the man to a treasure chest he kept under the stand. Harry waited patiently as the man rummaged through the chest.

"Ah!" He pulled out an old looking, worn roll of parchment. Harry frowned.

Walking to the stand, the man rolled it out in front of Harry, who peered at it inquisitively. His mind registered the geography. It didn't look right at all. Maybe it was upside down?

Harry turned the map around, only to find that he still didn't recognize any of the landmarks.

'This is bad.' He thought to himself.

The oblivious shopkeeper injected himself into Harry's thought. "Pardon my curiosity, but what exactly are you looking for?"

"London. It's a city," Harry answered before he could stop himself.

"London? Can't say I've heard of such a place. Is it new? You may not be able to pinpoint it, seeing as this map is a little bit dated. Twenty years, if I remember correctly!" The man spoke.

'London has been there hundreds of years, so twenty years does not really matter, does it?' Harry thought to himself. He turned to the shopkeeper.

"Ah, maybe that's it. But I think I've located where it's supposed to be." Harry pointed at some random point on the planet, hoping he didn't point to their actual location. The man examined it and smiled.

"Ah... That is the western continent you are looking for, then. It's quite a ways away from here, young sir." The shop keeper nodded wisely.

"Indeed. Thank you for allowing me use of your map. Good day!" Harry gave a polite nod, and made to leave the shop.

Something clicked in his mind. He needed a weapon, since he didn't have his wand. He turned back to the owner.

"Ah, is there anything else you needed, sir?" The shop owner asked.

"Yes, I was wondering if you had any weapons for sale?" Harry asked, but the shop keeper shook his head.

"You'll have to go to a weapon's store for that, sir. It's right up the stairs over there," The man gave him directions. Harry nodded gratefully and left the shop.

Once he was away enough, Harry stopped.

'Where am I?! What happened? Think, Potter. Think!' And Harry remembered.

The clock hitting 11:59:59 PM. The pressure in the air. The flash of light from the mirror. Wait a minute.

"That's it! The mirror!" Harry exclaimed in horrified realization. He must be in some other world conjured by the mirror! Or maybe the mirror is a gateway to other realms?

Either way, Harry just wanted to get back home.

But what could he do about it? He had no wand. No magic. He was essentially powerless.

"Oy' guv! Let's head to the pub! I reckon tha barkeep be havin' some information for us." Harry heard Yangus exclaim before he saw Dante and Yangus walk up one of the sets of stairs leading up to the upper level of the town.

Harry quickly caught up with them.

"Ey 'Arry," Yangus greeted.

"Hey Harry. Were you able to find anything?" Dante asked.

Harry shook his head. He didn't want to deal with this right now.

"No, but I heard one of the shop keepers talk about a creepy jester that was here. Sound familiar?"

"Dhoulmagus!" Yangus exclaimed and looked around wildly. Dante put his hand on Yangus' shoulder.

"No, Yangus. He's probably already long gone." Dante said. He looked at Harry.

"We are going to the bar, to see if there's any information on Master Rylus' whereabouts. I've asked around, and the people keep hinting at the fact that something bad happened to him. They also hint that it's related to the fire." Dante explained the situation, as they walked to their destination.

"I see. Would you mind making a small detour, first? I am in need of a weapon, and the store is right over there," Harry requested as he pointed to the nearby shop.

"Aw'right, 'Arry. We'll 'elp ya find a real good weapon," Yangus promised. Dante only smiled.

They entered the weapon store. Many spears, axes, swords were on display racks. Harry looked at them all. He didn't have the strength for an axe nor the dexterity for a spear. A sword sounded like the best thing he could get.

"Welcome to the weapon shop. What can I do for you?" Harry turned to see a bulky man behind the counter, welcoming his potential customers.

"Oh, yes. I was wondering if you have any swords on sale?" Harry said, feeling stupid, as he had seen many swords lined up on the walls. Sensing his discomfort, the owner walked towards display rack, and removed one of the swords, handing it to Harry. It was heavy, but not heavy enough that couldn't wield it. Harry gave a few experimental swings. He had no real way of testing its sharpness but he thought it looked sharp enough. He looked to Dante and Yangus, who nodded approvingly. Harry smiled.

"Err, where am I going to put it?" He blurted out his sudden thought.

Thankfully, the owner heard him, and produced a sheath, with a strap and buckle.

"Here, you can have the sheath for free. Just strap it to your back and put the sword in it." The shop keeper watched as Harry did as he said.

As soon as he was done, Harry turned to the store owner.

"How much do I owe you?" Harry asked.

"Ah, it comes down to 270 gold coins." Harry gave him the required money, nodded to the man, and left the store, with Yangus and Dante following closely.

"Thanks, guys." Harry thanked his two companions, and they made their way to the bar once more.

They opened the bar's door, and walked inside. Immediately they felt a change in atmosphere, as the smell of alcohol assaulted their noses, and the sound of enthusiastic piano solos entranced them. All three smiled as they made their way through the hustle and bustle of customers.

Dante was greeted by one of the waitresses wearing a tight, long sleeved shirt and small skirt. She was even wearing a bunny tail and ears. She giggled at him.

"Oooh! I love seeing new faces! You're not from around here, are you?" She bent forward, not noticing Dante's blush. "Is that little creature in your pocket a pet of yours? It's so adorable! What's its name?" She asked the embarrassed youth.

"Ehehe... His name's Munchie!" He answered with a nervous smile.

She giggled again, "Munchie? A cute name for a cute little fellow! Well, Munchie, enjoy your stay!"

She took another hungry look at Dante, and walked away to tend to the other customers.

"Not bad, guv!" Yangus slapped Dante in the back, who just laughed nervously.

"How about we go see the bartender now, Dante?" Harry saved him from further embarrassment. Dante just nodded quickly, his cheeks red.

Reaching the bartender, a rather non descript looking fellow addressed them.

"Hello. Are you looking for someone?" He asked.

"Yes. By any chance, would you know where Master Rylus is?" Dante answered politely.

The man looked alarmed.

"Master Rylus!? So.. you haven't heard? Master Rylus died in the fire the other day."

"The fire!" Yangus exclaimed. The man nodded and leaned forward.

He whispered, "Actually, just between you and me, I think he was murder- Oops! I shouldn't have said that! Forget I mentioned it!" The man shook his head and went back to drinking.

Dante looked at both Harry and Yangus.

"Let's just see if the bar tender knows anything." Harry suggested, and the three approached the bar tender. Before they could start, however, the bar tender addressed one of his customers. He had long, black hair, thick eyebrows, black eyes, and a black moustache. His cheeks were bright pink, a contrast to his tanned skin, and showing his obvious state of inebriation. He wore an orange robe, with red flame patterns on the edge of his sleeves. A few empty bottles were in front of him. Seems like he'd been here for some time.

"Haven't you had enough, Mr. Kalderasha, sir?" The bar tender asked. He continued, "I'm sorry but I've got a business to run. This, er, haphazard fortune-telling of yours is costing me a fortune in free drinks!"

The man in front of him, Kalderasha, slammed his glass into the bar. It did not break, surprisingly.

"WHAT!? My fortune-telling... HAPHAZARD!? Are you a complete fool!?" He exclaimed.

Calming down, he looked to his side. "Let me tell you something for free. All fortune-telling is 'haphazard'! What do you expect?"

Kalderasha raised his glass.

"Anyway, so what if I saw it? So what if I foretold the fire? If I'd tried to stop it, then what!? It would only have led to another disaster, that's what!" The man looked defeated as he said this. Harry felt pity for him. He himself had experienced the horror of prophecies. An image of his godfather flashed through his mind, and he scrunched up his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kalderasha, sir. I don't follow..." The bar tender was obviously confused.

"If you're saying you knew about the fire, shouldn't you at least have warned Master Rylus?" The barkeep reasoned. But Kalderasha did not hear the bar keeper's explanation, too lost in memories.

"Yes... Poor Rylus.. How many times I argued with the old man... I cannot believe he is gone..." He put his head down and stopped talking. The bar tender took that as his queue to stop, and give Kalderasha his space.

Dante approached the fortune teller, who glanced at him from the corner of his eye, not even bothering to turn his head.

"What!? What is it?" He said, annoyed.

Suddenly, he got off his chair and looked at Dante with intensity. Dante instinctively stepped back.

"Hmm!? ...You! Come, show your face to the Great Kalderasha! Yes! Yeeesss!"

Harry shuddered. Yangus looked amused.

Before Dante could react to this, the exit of the bar opened abruptly, stopping the music. People turned to see who interrupted their good time.

It was one of the villagers. He looked terrified.

"Q-Quick, quick! Everyone come quick! There's a monster in town!" He exclaimed and took his breath.

"What!?" One of the customers said.

Not having time to explain, the villager answered, "Just come and see! The whole town's gone crazy!"

Everyone ran out of the bar.

"That doesn't sound good. Let's check it out." Harry said and ran outside, followed by Yangus and Dante. The three made their way down the stairs to see what the commotion is about. They reached a mob of people, gathered in front of Trode and Medea.

"Wot the...!?" Yangus looked alarmed. He turned to Dante and Harry.

"This ain't good, guv! Come on! Look lively!" They made their way to the pair.

"Urrrgh! It looked at me!" A villager exclaimed.

"Ewwww! It's hideous!" An old lady said.

One of the younger villagers held some stones in his hands. He handed them to the villagers.

"Get out! Get out, monster! You're not welcome here!" With that, they began to throw them at the small green man. He instinctively shielded his face from the onslaught of stones. Honestly the way he was treated hurt much more than the stones that impacted against him.

His daughter stepped in front of them, and shielded Trode from the stones. Yangus grabbed the diminutive troll and made a break for it, with Medea, Harry and Dante following closely.

As they left, they heard the villagers cheering.

"Get out! Out out out out!" One shouted.

"Get out of 'ere!" Another said.

"We don't want your kind here!" That struck a nerve with Harry. It reminded him of the Dursleys.

**oooooooooo**

_Outside of Fareburry..._

It was already night time by the time the ragtag group was kicked out of town.

Gathered just outside the town, Harry, Yangus, Dante, Trode and Medea stood.

"Well! That was a fine reception!" King Trode said furiously. He stomped on the ground, taking out his anger.

"Don't they realize who I am!? Hmph! Judging a book by its cover! Don't they know it's what inside that counts!?" He asked to no one in particular. Harry nodded, remembering his father's friend, Lupin, who happened to be a werewolf. He had been his best teacher in Defense Against The Dark Arts, whereas the so-called normal wizards were absolutely horrible at it. He shook the memories away.

"Yeah! You can say that again!" Yangus nodded somberly.

King Trode turned to Dante, "So then, Dante, did you manage to find master Rylus?"

"Yes, but from what we were able to tell, he died in the fire that the town was talking about." Dante explained.

The diminutive green troll-man stepped back in shock.

"What? He's dead!? Oh, no, no, no...," He turned and walked for a few moments.

"Well... I suppose there's no point crying over spilt milk...," He sighed, but then perked up.

"It's Dhoulmagus we're after! He's the one who cursed the Princess and I, after all. He's the one who made us look so ridiculous! I had hoped Rylus might be able to help us locate him, but it seems we'll just have to track Dhoulmagus down by ourselves." He said resolutely.

"With Rylus gone, we have nothing further to gain from staying here. Let's be on our way!" And with that, they all began to leave. But someone stopped them.

"Wait!" A girl's voice caught their attention. Everyone turned to look at the source.

A girl was standing in front of the entrance, with her hands clasped together.

"Please... wait...," She pleaded.

"I'm sorry to come running after you like this. It's just that... I wanted to ask you a favor." She said.

Harry's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You ask complete strangers for help?" Harry blurted out, to which the girl simply blushed.

Yangus and Trode glanced at each other incredulously. Raising his hand, the green bean addressed the girl.

"Are you not afraid of me, young lady?" He asked, curiously.

"I dreamt about you..." She explained, "I dreamt that some people came to town with a strange creature. It was... sort of halfway between a human and a monster... And I dreamt that they could make wishes come true..."

Yangus laughed, and Trode looked a mix between shocked and appalled.

"A strange creature!? Are you referring to me?" Trode exclaimed. Harry laughed silently, while Dante just gave a good natured smile.

The girl immediately backtracked, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be rude!"

Glaring at Yangus, who had stopped laughing but was looking at the troll-man smugly, Trode turned to the girl.

"Heh, not to worry. I've had worse things said to me today! You know, you remind me of my Medea. You're about the same age. Anyway, you say you had a dream about me? Most peculiar..." He said.

"I'm sorry... I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Valentina, daughter of the great fortune-teller, Kalderasha," The girl- Valentina- introduced herself to the group.

"If you could just come to my house, I'll explain everything there." She turned to leave.

"It's by the well, at the far end of town. I'll be waiting for you!" She ran back inside the town.

"Wot was she rabbtin' on about? Come round my 'ouse, she says...," Yangus had his hands on his hips. The green midget looked like he was struggling with something.

He suddenly gave a big, excited smile.

"Magnificent! She wasn't afraid to look at me at all! Not one bit! Ah, she reminds me of my Medea! We must give this young girl a helping hand!" He exclaimed.

Standing in the background, Harry quirked his lips.

'Were we not about to give chase to Dhoulmagus?' Harry didn't voice his thoughts, as the little toad turned to Dante.

"Right then, my boy! Go and find the house by the well and see what it is she wants!" He ordered.

Dante just nodded in acknowledgement.

"Wait, what about you, King Trode?" Harry asked.

"Hm? Me? I'll wait here with the Princess. We don't want to cause any more of a stir." Trode said before heading back to give Medea some food.

Not wasting any time, the three men headed back into town.

As they made their way to Valentina's house, Harry spoke with his two companions to pass the time.

"She's an odd one, eh? Fancy askin' a funny old crew like us for 'elp! 'Specially wiv the old codger lookin' like a monster!" He exclaimed. Dante "hmm"-ed in agreement. Harry nodded and looked around.

"Looks like everyone's asleep. I was worried we'd cause a stir like earlier. I guess we were lucky." Harry said, as they reached the house next to the well.

Yangus held the door open for them.

"Afta' you, guv! Harry," The stocky man let them in, and followed suit.

They were greeted by the sight of a decorated room. To his right, were a set of stairs leading to what Harry assumed would be the bed room. In the middle of the entrance, lay a purple carpet, with yellow spots on the edges, and with yellow lamps on the edges.

On the center of a table was a fancy pink table, with a crystal ball, and some pieces of paper with archaic writing on them. Valentina lay her head in front of the crystal ball, obviously having slept while waiting for them.

Dante nudged her awake. She groggily looked up at them. Her eyes snapped in to focus, and she straightened her back.

"Ah! You came!" She said happily and stood up, dusting herself off.

"I'm so sorry! I, I must have drifted off. How rude of me!" She was clearly embarrassed.

"I wanted to ask you a favor about this crystal ball," She said, but shook her head.

"...Sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. Perhaps I should start from the beginning?" Valentina asked.

"Yes. That'd be great," Harry smiled.

"Of course. Let me explain. My father, Kalderasha, was once a really famous fortune-teller. Lost treasure, missing people... There was nothing the Great Kalderasha couldn't help people with." That got Harry's interest. Now, he didn't really believe in Divination, after his few years with Trelawney, but he was willing to try anything, at this point. He listened carefully.

"But then one day he lost his powers. All of a sudden, nothing he foretold turned out to be true anymore. it's probably because he stopped using a crystal ball. This glass ball isn't-," But that's as far as she was able to say, when the front door suddenly opened. It was Kalderasha.

"Valentina! What is going on here!?" He walked forward.

"How many times have I told you not to touch my crystal ball?" Kalderasha looked to his right, recognizing Dante.

"What? Aren't you that boy from the pub!? What brings you here? ...Never mind! I do not know what my daughter has asked you, but you can forget it! I do not need your help! I am fine as I am." He exclaimed dismissively. He looked back at Valentina.

"I am going to bed. Valentina! Say your farewells and show our young visitors to the door." Kalderasha said and made his way upstairs.

"I am sorry about my father." Valentina looked down.

"But whatever he says, he's the one who's really suffering since he lost his powers. That's why I wanted to ask you this favor." She looked up at Dante pleadingly.

"Can you find him a crystal ball? One that's big enough to bring back his powers?" She asked.

Harry glanced at Dante and Yangus. By the looks of it they made up their mind about the whole thing. Harry had, too, but for different reasons. He needed to find if there is a way home by having his fortune told, and he couldn't very well do that if this fortune teller was powerless, now could he?

"Yes. We'll find a crystal ball for you." Dante answered.

"Really? You will!? Oh, this is exactly how it all happened in my dream! So far everything's come true! I also dreamt that there's a crystal ball hidden deep inside the cave under the big waterfall to the south of town." She said excitedly, all in one breath.

Pushing her fingers together in embarrassment, she continued, "I suppose only the daughter of the Great Kalderasha could know a thing like that!" She ran to her room excitedly, not even bothering to say goodnight.

The three didn't mind. It was rather cute to watch, actually.

They let themselves out of the house and made their way outside.

"Well, we know wot we gotta do. Better report back to the old codger then, eh? Mind you...," Yangus yawned, "I'm pretty knackered. I thought givin' up the old bandithood would mean I could keep more silverised hours! But life on the straight road don't seem no better in that area." He grinned at Dante.

"Still, you know best, guv!" He patted the young man on his back as they reached the outside of the town.

Harry let Dante and Yangus explain the situation to the two cursed people, King Trode and Medea.

"Hmmm, I see..." He nodded sagely, before bursting out with a smile, making Dante step back in shock.

"Magnificent! Such devotion to her father! I'm impressed! Just how a daughter should be!" He said adoringly.

Harry looked at Yangus, "He ain't quite right up there, in' he?" Yangus said and Harry let out a chuckle.

Not noticing their little conversation, King Trode continued. "And if this Kalderasha gets his powers back, there's nothing he can't find, am I right?"

Dante nodded.

"Then we'll kill two birds with one stone! If everything goes according to plan, we'll find out where that hateful Dhoulmagus is. But time's getting on. Medea and I will stay outside. That's the last time we set foot in a barbaric town like this! But you should spend the night at the inn and rest well so that you're ready to take on the world tomorrow! In the morning, we leave for the waterfall cave!" Trode ordered.

Yangus, Harry and Dante went back to town to get a good night's rest. They would need it tomorrow.

**ooooooooo**

I'm exhausted from writing so much! I'll update when I can.


	3. Cave Under the Waterfall

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form. Wish I did, though.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 02: Cave Under The Waterfall  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

"C'mon! Time ta gerr'up, 'Arry!" A gruff sounding voice woke Harry from his comfortable sleep.

Harry groaned, and opened his eyes, to see Yangus nudging him awake.

"Five more minutes," Harry whined and closed his eyes.

Finding no reason to deny him this, and seeing as waiting five minutes did not really change much in the grand scheme of things, Yangus let the boy have a little bit more rest, and started getting his things together.

Harry Potter let his sleepiness fade as he listened to the sounds of objects being moved, most likely Yangus equipping his gear and putting on his boots. He sighed and got up, rolling his shoulder so it wouldn't feel so stiff.

"Heh, Awake then? Best be headin' out, 'Arry. The guv's already outta town, waitin' fer us! I'll tell em' you'll be wiv us in a bit," Yangus gave his parting words as he left the inn, no doubt to rejoin Dante and the others.

Harry rubbed the sand out of his eyes and proceeded to put his new gear on. He looked himself in the mirror.

He was wearing a simple dark, long sleeved green shirt that reached his upper thigh area, and gray pants that were held up in place with a brown belt. Strapping on his sword, he thought he didn't look half bad, though he wouldn't be caught dead wearing this if he were home. Here, however, was another story entirely.

He shook his head. Time to meet up with the others so they could get that crystal ball, which would give Kalderasha's fortune telling powers back. Then, Harry would be able to get some information.

He just hoped it would work.

Exiting the town, he was greeted by the others.

"Ah, Harry! There you are. Have you had a good rest?" King Trode asked genially. Harry nodded.

"Splendid! I had a look around with my darling Medea, and we spotted a cave under a waterfall to the south of here! It's as that charming girl, Valentina, said!" The troll-man looked positively giddy.

"Well, we'd better not waste any time then," Dante answered, and nodded at everyone, beckoning them to start moving. They got the hint.

On their way there, Harry made small talk with the diminutive troll.

"So, you went to the cave?" Harry asked, while stroking Medea's neck as they walked.

"Ah, yes! Dreadful trip, it was. Monsters everywhere!" The cursed king explained.

"I do hope you realize that the Princess and I have no intention of setting foot in that cave. We are royals, after all. We can't go putting ourselves in danger like that again. The trip to the cave was daunting, I tell you!" He exclaimed, and gave him a look. "So I'm relying on you to find the crystal ball!"

"Figured as much," Harry said before joining the others in the front.

Yangus noticed something to his left.

"Monsters!" He notified everyone before leaping forward to do battle, followed by Dante and Harry.

Harry unsheathed his sword and looked at his opposition. He didn't know a thing about fighting, let alone fighting.. whatever it was he was looking at.

There were three of them, in total. Dante and Yangus had taken one, each.

Harry gazed it warily. It looked like a giant green slug with rather oversized lips. It leaped at him, attempting to... smooch him? Harry jumped back, dodging the disgusting little creature, before slashing his sword horizontally, causing a deep gash to appear. It fell backwards, defeated.

"Well, that was interesting," Harry said as he awkwardly sheathed his sword.

"Not bad, 'Arry!" Yangus looked at Harry. Harry laughed nervously.

"It was nothing. But it was my first time fighting with a sword." Harry explained and brushed off the compliments.

"Ah, your first time, my boy? May I ask what your weapon of choice was, before?" King Trode asked kindly.

"Er, that is to say... I used a wand," Harry admitted. Trode's eyes lit up.

"Oho, a magic user?" King Trode inquired enthusiastically.

"Um.. Sort of. I can't really use any right now, since I don't have my wand," Harry answered nervously. Trode only looked perplexed.

"A wand, my boy? I'd never heard of magicians needing wands to cast spells. Granted, from what I remember from Master Rylus, he'd said magical weapons made his spells stronger, but he didn't need a weapon to be able to use his magic!" The king argued.

Harry just shook his head.

"I dunno a lot about them magics, 'Arry, but the old codger's right," Yangus supported what the troll-man said, though said man glared daggers at him for calling him an 'old codger'.

"I'm sure we can look for some magic books when we get back to town. But for now, we have to get that crystal ball!" King Trode ordered, and they left the issue alone for the time being. Couldn't keep that charming girl waiting, you know!

They fought a few more monsters on the way, before passing a sign. No one gave it any heed because the waterfall was clearly in view, and the diminutive king did not look fazed by it.

They reached the waterfall, and Harry couldn't help but be amazed by the beauty of the sight of nature at work. The water slid down smoothly as it fell, having no problems with the giant drop. Each drop of water fell with its own clarity, making a booming noise as they all hit the river water below.

Surprisingly enough, Harry noted, the dirt trail they were on led straight into the cave.

Everyone stopped.

"Naturally, I can't go in the cave with you. I have my precious Medea to worry about! But," King Trode made his way to the back of his carriage and came back, holding a torch in his hands.

"I believe this will help you," He handed the torch to Dante, who smiled.

"Off you go!" He ordered and went back to sitting at the front of the carriage.

They entered the waterfall cave without a word.

"Wow, this place is big," Harry said as he looked around at the stalactites that hung from the ceiling of the great big cave. They were standing on a naturally made bridge of stone. Torches adorned both sides of the bridge, giving it an eerie feel. He looked at the left side of the bridge.

'That is a long way down,' Harry noted their current height, and managed to spot a treasure chest in the distance.

"Oy, look over there. Think the crystal ball is in there?" Harry asked.

"Could be," Dante answered before leading the group forward, intent on reaching that chest.

Their path divided forked into two paths.

"Which way?" Harry asked.

"I reckon we go righ'. I hear somethin' there," Yangus reasoned, and they all went to the right. They reached a large cavernous room, with a dark skinned fellow looking lost and frightened.

"Aw'right there?" Yangus approached the man, who was scared senseless by this.

After gathering his bearings, the fellow answered.

"I came to look at the waterfall and I stumbled upon this cave! A waterfall cave... It's so intriguing! I was trying to explore, but I've gone and got myself completely lost!" He said.

"Lost? The exit's that way," Harry pointed behind him. How could anyone miss that?

"Ah, I see. Thank you, strangers, but I suppose I'll linger here a little longer!" He answered and went back to walking around.

After proceeding with their exploration of the cave. Yangus spotted a few chests and made to open them, but they had regular common items, such as medicinal herbs. He did however, throw something Harry's way, before looking around some more.

He grabbed it with little effort, a testament to his skills as a seeker, and examined it.

"That's a leather hat! Could be of some use," Dante smiled as he explained him what it was.

"Thanks!" Harry put it on. It felt odd, but not uncomfortable.

Yangus came back, looking irritated.

"This is like lookin' for a needle in an 'aystack! How are we s'posed to find a crystal ball in 'ere then, eh!? We'd better go carefully 'ere, guv. Don't wanna get ourselves 'urt or nuffin'." He grumbled to Dante.

"Let's keep going, I think we'll have more luck if we go down," Dante reasoned. Both Harry and Yangus nodded.

"Fine by me," Harry answered and they were off.

As they made their way forward once more, Harry suddenly fell forward, holding the back of his head in pain. He felt a viscous liquid against his palm, sort of like those slime monsters he fought in the clearing in which he'd woke up.

"Blimey! Bubble Slimes! Get up, 'Arry!" Harry did so, and turned to see what had blindsided him.

It looked similar to the blue Slimes he had fought before. Its color was green, and had the consistency of sludge. Floating above it, were the semblance of green bubbles.

Harry unsheathed his sword, just in time to block an attack from one of the green monstrosities. It had thrown its green bubbles at him, and they impacted with his sword, enough to push him back a foot or so. Harry held his sword high and leaped forward, slashing straight down. He cut the Bubble Slime straight in two. Its color faded to black, and it lost its sludge-like consistency, making a black puddle on the ground. He turned to see Yangus bashing one of the Bubble Slimes into a wall, splattering it with green gooey that turned black as well.

Gross.

"Damn thing took me by surprise," Harry exclaimed and wiped the back of his head clean. He didn't want any of that on him.

With that out of the way, they made their way through the tunnels, until they reached a set of stairs leading down. As they made their way down, Harry heard Yangus whining.

"This place is nice on the eyes an' ev'ryfin', but the damp don't do nuffin' for me, I tell ya! I can't stand bein' all wet like this. Feels like I've 'ad an accident or somefin'!" He had said. Harry snorted, amused.

They made their way forward through the cave. The torches gave the entire place a creepy feel to it, despite their usefulness in making the entire place well lit.

'It would probably be worse if it were dark,' Harry thought to himself.

They reached another cavernous room, filled with stalagmites and stalagtites. Harry heard the sound of falling water, a sign of inner waterfalls.

"Wot's that in the distance, guv?" Yangus exclaimed, and tried to focus his vision.

"Not sure," Dante stared. It looked to be a broken down doorway, with something standing in the middle.

"Looks like someone's guarding that entrance. Maybe this is a sign that we're getting closer?" Harry suggested.

"Could be. Let's check it out." Dante ordered and the two followed without hesitation.

They reached the odd looking guard. It wasn't human at all. The little critter wore a purple hood. It had brown fur and looked like a mole, about the size of the diminutive king they were travelling with, but it held a large mallet in its right hand. It had to be strong.

It didn't seem to be paying attention to them. Harry took a risk and sidestepped it, and tried to pass through the large doorway. It answered by jumping right in front of him with a glare. Harry warily backed away, and rejoined the group.

Satisfied, it jumped back to the middle, and stood silent.

Dante approached it and gave it a greeting.

"Well, well! You must be really brave to come up and talk to me like this!" The monster spoke.

Ignoring Yangus' and Harry's shocked looks, it continued.

"A man that looked like a peddler came along earlier, but when he saw me he ran away without saying a word!" The monster made some small talk. Harry frowned. So that fellow they met up there wasn't here to 'see the wonderful' sights.

"Anyway... As you've probably realized, you'll have to fight me if you want to go any further! What do you think? Brave enough for that, are you!?" It exclaimed arrogantly.

"Yes." Dante answered back, confident.

Instantly, the little monster changed his demeanor.

"R-Really!? Y-You are brave. That means you must be a good fighter... I know! In recognition of your bravery, I'm going to let you through!" It stepped aside.

"Off you go. Be careful now!" It said happily.

Harry just palmed his face. This little guy was amusing to say the least.

As they walked past it, Yangus laughed.

"Crikey! That lil' monster was a wimp," He exclaimed.

"Hey!" They heard from behind them.

Harry turned to look at the angry looking hooded mole.

"A wimp, am I!? I'll show you! I'll fight one of you! Er... The weakest one!" The little guy had said.

Harry groaned. Damn Yangus and his mouth. He turned to the other two.

"I don't suppose there is any way out of this?" They shook their heads. Great.

"Alrighty, then," Harry unsheathed his sword, "Let's begin."

Yangus and Dante quickly gave Harry and the mole space to fight. They stood, analyzing each other.

"I am Hammerhood. Let's go!" It said before leaping forward with the mallet. Harry barely dodged it as the mallet smashed in the floor, denting it a little bit. This thing was very strong. Harry swiped at it with his sword, but the little guy parried it, and stepped back.

"You're pretty fast," Harry found himself saying. The mole, Hammerhood, stopped suddenly.

"Why, thank you!" It said giddily, before restarting its attack. It held its hammer horizontally, and began spinning towards Harry, who tried to block. It didn't work. Well, not completely. The mallet slammed against his sword and pushed him back a few feet. His hands shook with the vibrations that ran through them, as he stumbled backwards and lost control of his own sword, nicking himself right below the eye.

"Damn," He swore. He had almost gouged his own eye.

He tensed, and got back up again, his grip on his sword tightening. He looked at Hammerhood. It looked like it was gathering energy. A purple aura flared into existence around it.

"He's psyching himself up, Harry! Now's your chance!" Harry ran forward and slashed with all his strength. He managed to cut off part of its hood and made a cut on its belly.

"Ow!" It exclaimed before attacking him while his guard was down.

Harry made to block with his sword, but did not expect the little guy to attack so fast. Hammerhood gave him a fairly strong headbutt that left Harry to his knees, too dizzy to stay upright.

"Well, it's time to finish this!" Hammerhood exclaimed before leaping forward with his mallet, intent on pulverizing him with it.

"Oy guv! We can't jus' stand 'ere!" Yangus said before making his way forward to protect Harry. He was held back by Dante.

"Look," Dante simply said. So he did.

Even down on his knees, Harry looked very calm. He looked up, his emerald eyes glowing with power.

He dodged the downward swipe easily by rolling to the left, hearing a thud as it smashed the ground with great force.

Harry pointed his hand at the little mole.

"...!" Harry sent a ball of fire that impacted with Hammerhood's face, sending it careening into the wall. It fell to the ground, both the spell and the impact against the wall knocking it out cold.

Harry stared at his hand in shock. Wand-less magic? It was impossible!

"'E did it, guv! 'Arry did it!" Yangus exclaimed happily, drawing Harry back to reality.

He saw both men making their way to him.

"Congratulations on yer win there, 'Arry," The stocky man patted his back.

"I thought you couldn't use magic without your wand?" Dante asked curiously.

"I-I don't know. It just happened," Harry answered truthfully, puzzled by the nature of these events. He pointed his hand at the side, imagining himself shooting that ball of fire again. Surprisingly, nothing happened, though Harry felt something tugging at him from the inside. He grabbed on it, and imagined the ball of fire again.

He felt the power rush to his hand and shoot off a ball of fire once more. It zoomed through the tunnel before hitting one of the walls, leaving it blackened.

"Blimey!" Yangus exclaimed.

"Impressive," Dante praised.

"Yeah," Harry only said. He felt drained all of a sudden.

Dante noticed his predicament and smiled.

"Don't worry, using magic constantly will make you feel more tired. You'll need some time to rest, and you'll be as good as before. Even better, if you keep training!" Dante assured him. Harry just nodded, and walked to the a nearby puddle. He scooped up some water with both hands and splashed his face. The cool water was refreshing, and helped alleviate the sudden tiredness he felt. He scooped some more, and greedily drank from it.

Satisfied, he wiped his hands against his pants and went back to the group.

"Let's keep going, shall we?" Harry suggested and moved through the doorway the Hammerhood was blocking, followed by Yangus and Dante.

"Where d'ya reckon that crystal ball is anyway? You don't think it's at the bottom o' the waterfall, do ya? We'll be stymied if it is!" Yangus whined.

"I don't think it would be. It's probably in that chest we saw at the entrance," Dante reasoned.

After walking for a little while, they came across another fork in the tunnel, with a blue Slime waiting for them. They approached it warily, but it didn't seem like it was going to attack them.

It slurped, "Guess what!? This passage is a dead end! Do you believe me?" It said excitedly as it pointed to the left.

"Uh... No," Dante answered.

"Why not!? That's so mean! Now I feel blue! You really don't? Then there's no point in me telling you anything! Bye bye!" It hopped away, dejected.

"Uh...," Dante just looked even more puzzled.

"Let's just keep going in that path that's supposed to be a dead end. If it is, then we'll just come back here." Harry suggested.

"Sounds solid," Yangus agreed.

They walked for a little while, until they really did reach a dead end.

"Looks like that slime wasn't lying to us, after all. But it didn't tell the whole truth, either," Dante pointed at the chest they'd seen when they entered the cave.

"Yeah! We foun' the crystal ball!" Yangus cheered as Dante opened the chest.

"Oh. I guess it's not here," Dante notified the two.

"Wot? Then wha's in there, guv?" Yangus asked. Dante only pulled out a sword.

"A sword, huh? I guess we could sell that once we get back to town," Harry said, and Yangus agreed.

"Let's head back and take the right path this time," Dante ordered as they made their way back. They engaged a few monsters on the way there, but Harry let Dante and Yangus handle it, preferring to defend. They reached the fork again, to see the little slime waiting for them excitedly.

"Wow! You got the treasure? Was it any good? I've been wondering what was inside that chest for ages!" Harry smiled at the childlike demeanor the little blue monster had. He liked this one.

"What's your name?" Harry asked kindly and crouched in front of it. It turned to him.

"Ah.. I don't have one." It said happily.

"That's awful!" Harry said, appalled. He didn't know what came over him, but he reached out to it. It looked like it was confused and hopeful at the same time.

"Alright, we need to keep going. We still need to find the crystal ball," Dante interrupted the moment, with a somber tone. Yangus nodded in agreement.

"Right," Harry spoke, and they took off to the right, leaving the blue monster behind. They made their way through the tunnel, making small talk as they did so, until they finally reached a set of stairs leading down. Next to it, was a sign.

It read:

"WATERFALL AHEAD  
NO LITTERING!"

They all gave it a passing glance, and kept walking down.

Once there, they made their way forward. The tunnel led to a platform in the center of a large room. There was a large, beautiful looking waterfall at the end. The entire room glowed bright blue. Where was the light coming from?

They warily made their way to the center. The water all around them shone with all the colors of the rainbow, but the color blue seemed to be the dominant one. Harry took notice of a floating ball, in the waterfall itself.

"That's it!" Harry pointed to it. Yangus and Dante peered at his direction and their eyes widened.

"Wot are we waitin' for then?" They all dashed to it.

A few feet away from it, Dante reached out to take it, but then stepped back as a red, scaly, fish monster swam up the waterfall, and laughed in their shocked faces.

"Wha ha ha! Surprise, surprise! Meet Geyzer! I am the master of this waterfall!" The monster spoke loudly with a lisp.

"Oh, how long it's been! How many people have gone and come!" Geyzer drooled at them, its flapping tail keeping it steady in the waterfall.

"Ten long years and more I've waited! Ten years, I tell you! All the time hoping for the left one...," It growled in frustration at itself. "I mean, the right one to come... But enough with the introductions! Now, for the moment of muth!" Geyzer gestured at the crystal ball.

"Does this brystal call... er, crystal ball belong to you?" It asked of them.

Dante stepped forward and nodded. It looked a mix of happy and angry, at his answer.

"Ha ha ha haaa! At last! At last we feet, mace to mace, you halfwit human!" It growled at Dante. It was an odd creature, for sure, Harry thought.

"Now I'll teach you a moron! Argh! I mean a lesson you won't forget!" It said before lunging forward.

Having already expected this ever since it started growling angrily at them, Harry met its lunge with the side of his sword, giving Dante and Yangus enough time to draw their weapons. Geyzer raised his webbed hand and gave Harry a good slap to the face, sending him back a few feet. Harry instinctively raised a hand and rubbed his, now sore, cheeks.

Dante and Yangus leaped forward and attacked it, but it jumped back, cleanly dodging Dante's diagonal slash and Yangus' vertical smashing movement. It glowed darkly for a moment, before waving its hands at them, sending waves of black water at them. Harry attempted to jump over it, but some of it stuck to his foot. Immediately he felt his limbs snap to his sides, and he fell to the ground on his side. He saw that Dante and Yangus had managed to somehow dodge it. Dante leaped forward, once more.

As Harry felt himself regaining control of his limbs, Dante made a horizontal slash with his sword and managed to land a deep cut in its chest. Deeply angered that some human had hurt it, Geyzer clawed at Dante, leaving nasty looking scratches on his arms, that instinctively defended his face.

Meanwhile, in a strategically sound move, Yangus had flanked it and managed to smash his club on the beast's head, leaving it dazed.

It held out a hand as a warding gesture as it attempted to comfort its head. Harry, Dante and Yangus surprisingly gave Geyzer its space.

"Argh! The pain, the pain! Oh, my old wound!" Geyzer gestured to the nasty looking scar on the front of its head, "Ever since I got this, I've not been right quite."

It looked angrily at Dante, "And it's all because of you!"

"Me? What'd I do?" Dante asked the fish monster, confused.

"What!? You don't know what I'm talking about...? Then you... You're not the true owner of this crystal ball! The shame, the shame!" It made grandiose gestures.

"So strong! Strong enough to withstand my fearsome might! You are no tortune-feller!" Geyzer declared. It looked at Dante inquisitively, "Wait! Could you be...? The waterfall hears many rumors, you know. I hear that a castle called Trodain has been cursed. That it was run over... Overrun by thorns. And that only one person inside survived." Harry heard the red scaled monster, looking at Dante, who seemed surprised the fish monster even knew this.

"He set off on a journey, leading a corse and hart with a lone driver." Geyzer spouted off, not bothering to correct its mistakes this time.

Dante looked down, remembering the horrible time. He had woken up, with the castle eerily silent, and everyone had turned into... living, thorny statues. He looked back up at the monster, and nodded.

"As I thought! That was you!" Geyzer exclaimed, "I don't know what you want with this crystal ball... But it's yours now. I accept dehands... Or is it defeat?" The fish monster took the ball in his webbed hands and gave it to Dante, who put it in his large bag.

The scaled monster turned to leave, but stopped.

"One last thing! Should you meet the true owner of this crystal ball, tell him this from me!" He inched closer, as if he was about to whisper a secret.

"DON'T THROW THINGS IN THE FALLWATER!" He shouted at them, before grabbing his head in pain.

"So, ware thee fell! Oh, the pain, the pain! The pain of my old wound!" It whined, before jumping back in the waterfall, swimming downwards.

"Well, we've got wot we come for. No point 'angin around this damp old place any longer. Let's 'ead back to town and get that crystal ball to Valentina. She must be dyin' to see it, eh?" Yangus said, before everyone turned and left the big room.

"I kind of felt sorry for that monster, what with the damage his head suffered," Harry said, feeling a little bit guilty over the whole matter. Dante nodded; he felt the same way.

"I s'pose that Geyzer geezer's 'ad a bit of an 'ard time of it, really. I mean, gettin' whacked on the 'ead like that with a crystal ball! Must be awful not bein' able to talk proper, like." Yangus said in agreement, but looked the other two with him.

"But why'd Kalderasha throw it away in the first place? That's wot I don't get." Yangus put that little idea out there.

"You know, I was actually beginning to wonder the same thing," Harry blurted out.

"Me too. I don't really know either, but we will probably find the answer when we bring it back," Dante reasoned with the two, who nodded.

They made their way out of the large cave, fighting monsters here and there.

"That Geyzer said somefin' a bit odd back then, eh?" Yangus suddenly spoke, as they were almost out of the cave.

"Hm?" Dante had asked.

"You know. That thing about the thorns and the castle and only one person survivin'... Wot was 'e on about, eh!?" Yangus answered with a grin.

"Who knows," Dante answered evasively, making Harry look at him. So it really was true? All of Dante's friends in the castle had all been cursed? Harry felt awful. He had only thought it was the castle itself that had been cursed, but the people as well? Dante looked at him, pleading him to say nothing. Harry just nodded. Dante looked relieved.

The rest of the trip back outside was made in a comfortable silence.

Harry had to shield his eyes from the intense rays of the sunlight that invaded his vision, as the three men exited the cave. They were greeted by a whinny from Medea, and a cheer from King Trode.

"Ah! You're back safely! Were you able to acquire the crystal ball!?" King Trode asked excitedly.

As Dante began to report on the events that occurred in the cave, Harry started feeling more tired by the second. He was exhausted. His legs felt like jelly.

"Goodness! All that happened inside a cave? It's extraordinary that this Geyzer monster knew all about us... But how preposterous to say that you rescued me from the castle! It was I who rescued you! Those monsters never get their facts straight! Preposterous , I tell you!" Dante shook his head in amusement. Trode turned to the others.

"Right! Time to return to Fareburry and have Kalderasha tell us where to find Dhoulmagus! That's why we went to all the trouble to get the crystal ball, after all." Trode's order irked Yangus, but he followed it anyway.

"Oy! Wot trouble did you go to, granddad!? It was the guv, 'Arry, an' me that done all the 'ard work!" Yangus growled out, irritably, and got a glare from the green toad in return.

"You ignorant imbecile! Don't you realize that when my subjects suffer, I suffer!?" The king answered hotly.

"Subjects!? Since when 'ave I been your subject!?" But Yangus left it at that.

Harry tiredly followed the group, determined not to be a burden.

"You aw'right, 'Arry?" Yangus enquired, looking a little bit worried.

"I'm fine. Still a bit tired from shooting those fireballs," Harry answered quickly.

"Ah, you did magic, my boy? I thought you said you couldn't, not without some sort of focus," King Trode asked him with a raised brow.

"I didn't know I could, either," Harry shrugged, trying to stay steady on his feet.

The trip back to Fareburry took them most of the afternoon. They had fought more of those giant lipped slugs on the way back, but Harry had noticed that, despite his tired state, they felt much easier to battle now.

The sun had begun to set when the odd looking group reached Fareburry. The smoke that was coming out of the burning house had lessened considerably, leaving the air much cleaner now.

Without any words, Harry, Dante and Yangus had left the green old geezer and his horse princess outside the walls, and they entered the town. They began walking towards Valentina's house.

"I feel a bit better now we got the job done. I mean, not nervous like I was the last time I was 'ere." He stopped talking for a small moment, "... I s'pose the job ain't quite done yet though, eh? Not 'til we 'and over the crystal ball. I was gettin' ahead of meself." Yangus shook his head.

"Yeah, but we're almost done, so it's alright to think we've finished our work," Harry answered. Dante only nodded. The three passed by the weapon shop and through maze of houses, and finally reached Valentina's house, beside the well.

They entered the house, seeing Kalderasha sitting in front of his fake glass ball, his eyes closed.

As the three stepped forward, he looked at them.

"I knew you would return before long," Kalderasha said, "And it seems you have done as Valentina asked."

"You see!" Kalderasha lightly slapped his right thigh, "Even with a glass ball, the Great Kalderasha's eyes can see further than you realize! But you are meddling in matters that do not concern you."

"And you are wasting your time. You can bring back my crystal ball as many times as you like. I will just throw it away again!" His voice was raising.

Dante relayed to him the fish monster's message, which made Kalderasha's head turn in confusion.

"What!? Don't throw things in the waterfall? It might open up an old wound? What on earth are you talking about?" He stood up.

"Enough! Listen to me! No one knows why I threw away my crystal ball," He said agitatedly, "Even Valentina has no idea. I'm not about to confide in a stranger." He held out his hand.

"Give it to me! This time I will smash it into a million pieces, so it never finds its way back to me again!" He yelled at them, furious.

"Stop!" Valentina's voice broke through his anger. His eyes were wide as he turned to look at her.

"Please stop, father!" She pleaded, "I know! I've known for ages... I know why you threw away your crystal ball."

"You, you know...!? So you know about your real parents?" He sounded agitated. Valentina looked down.

"Yes. And I don't blame you for their death," She said with intensity.

"Why not? How can you not blame me, Valentina? How can you not hate me?" Kalderasha's voice broke, and he was on the verge of tears.

She looked up, into his eyes.

"Because you were just fortune-telling. Just doing what you do best!"

Valentina continued, "I was too young to remember, but... you were once a truly great fortune-teller, weren't you, Father?" Kalderasha lowered his head, in shame.

"No one knew where my parents had fled to. But to you, it was as clear as day," She said.

"...," Kalderasha reminisced, "Back then, there was nothing I could not see. The Great Kalderasha was known all over the world. I was walking on air. Fortune-telling was my life. It was my soul."

He closed his eyes. "I thought only of myself. Be they good or bad, I cared not who asked me to use my crystal ball. I lived for the vision!"

"It's all right, Father. You're a good man. You took me in and raised me, didn't you? When I was just a helpless baby." She comforted him. Harry felt awkward, watching this scene play out. He looked and saw Yangus and Dante feeling equally uncomfortable. At least he was not alone.

"I want to see it for myself. I want to see the Great Kalderasha in all his glory! I want to see your magnificent powers at work again, Father." She continued vehemently, heedless of the others' discomfort.

"Oh, my sweet Valentina...," Kalderasha was teary eyed, as he embraced her in a hug.

"Let's go back to the Inn, guys." Harry suggested quietly, as they all silently made to leave the house.

"Wait, travelers," The three stopped, and turned to see Kalderasha, with his daughter in his arms.

"I need to thank you properly. Please, stay at my house for the evening. It's the least I can do," He suggested amiably, and gestured to the stairs leading up to the bedroom. Not wanting to ruin the moment, the three companions made their way upstairs.

"There's two beds," Harry noted. Without thinking, he literally lunged at it.

Good thing he did, too, as he saw Dante and Yangus wrestling over who manages to sleep on a bed. Harry, having already reached his destination, laughed heartily. He liked this bunch.

**oooooooooo**

_The next day..._

Harry opened his eyes, feeling more refreshed than he was in a long time. Turning his head, he saw Dante and Yangus, barely fitting in the same bed. In fact, Yangus looked like he was about to drop any moment now.

**THUD**.

'There it is,' Harry grinned.

"Ah, bugger. That hurt!" Yangus yelled, waking up Dante in the process. Dante just sleepily looked at him.

"Oh, sorry guv," Yangus looked apologetic.

Dante sighed, and got off the bed. He waved at Harry, who smiled his way.

"They're probably expecting us down," Dante stopped and yawned, "Downstairs."

Harry nodded, and got up as well. Yangus went back into bed, and fell asleep almost instantaneously.

"Wow," Harry said, as the gruff stocky man started snoring loudly.

Harry and Dante made their way downstairs. They saw Kalderasha was calmly sitting in front of his crystal ball, his eyes closed.

When they approached him, his eyes opened.

"So you are awake at last! It is already past midday. You must have been exhausted," He looked forward, missing their affirmative nods.

"I must thank you and your friends," He gestured to the ball laying on the table in front of him, "Look! I have put my crystal ball back where it belongs."

Harry felt a shift in the air around them, and tensed. It felt like a pulse, beating around them.

"Many years have passed since I gazed into the crystal like this... I have to thank you for returning it to me." Kalderasha's eyes were closed, and he looked like he was concentrating. His back, suddenly straightened, and his eyes went wide with alarm. The crystal ball was glowing with power.

"W-What is this!? Yes, yes! I see it! I see it! There is a jester! A jester breaking through the southern checkpoint!" Kalderasha looked at the ball intensely.

"Jester?" Harry looked at Dante.

"Dhoulmagus," Dante growled out in answer.

"Yes! The mists are clearing! And the same jester murdered Master Rylus!" Kalderasha declared.

"Yes! Yeeesss! The mists are clearing!" Kalderasha focused, and Harry noted that he could see a black shape in the ball. He couldn't make out what it was.

"Ah!? Can it be...? Surely not... He has changed, but there can be no mistake. It has to be Master Rylus' former pupil... Dhoulmagus!" He almost yelled. Dante nodded grimly.

"Huh? Wot!?" They heard Yangus yell from upstairs.

They felt the wood shake as the large man made his way downstairs in a hurry.

"Guv! He said Dhoulmagus, right? That's our man! That's the evil magician you an' the old granddad are after, innit?" He turned to Kalderasha, "So where'd 'e go after that? Wot else can yer deduct?"

"What else...? Let me look deeper." Kalderasha closed his eyes again. A few seconds passed, but nothing happened.

"Hm? What's this...?" Kalderasha snapped his eyes open, examining his crystal ball. His eyes widened as he saw what was wrong.

"Yes, no question. This is definitely my old crystal ball. But, look here! It has been chipped. Hm! It must have hit something very hard to do this damage!" He exclaimed. Harry and Yangus glanced at each other.

"Geyzer," Harry mouthed. The other two nodded, understanding.

"And look! Someone has scratched some letters next to the chip...," Kalderasha read the message, and stood up angrily, "What!? Halfwit!? Who's the halfwit!? What ignorant lowlife would do this to my crystal ball?"

Harry suppressed a snicker.

"You wot!? When I asked wot else yer could see, I didn't mean ON the ball, I meant IN the ball!" Yangus said, exasperated. He turned to Dante, "Wotever! Oh, come on, guv!"

Dante made his way to Kalderasha.

"I see something is bothering you," Kalderasha said wisely.

"Yes, we already had our own suspicions on who killed the Master Rylus, but what we need to know why he did it!" Dante asked.

"It's hard to say for sure. Perhaps he is trying to eliminate everyone who knows who he is. Or perhaps he has other motives," Kalderasha shook his head, "Even I do not have the answers!"

The fortune-teller saw Dante beginning to look frustrated, and said, "But through the mist, I saw this Dhoulmagus breaching the checkpoint as he moves south. There is a small village called Alexandria in that direction. I can tell you no more. Thank you for everything you have done. I wish you good fortune on the journey ahead." And with that, the conversation was over.

"Alexandria, huh." Harry noted the village's name. Dante nodded.

"That seems to be our next destination, from the looks of it. We have to reconvene with King Trode first, though," Dante said, "But before that, let's go say goodbye to Valentina."

Harry smiled, and followed Dante in the room behind the fortune telling room. Valentina was calmly sitting on a chair in front of a large dining table, lost in thought. Her eyes lit up, as they neared up, and she spoke.

"Thank you so much! You've been so kind! I know he can still seem a little twisted, but he's changed. I can see it in his eyes." She talked about her father, "That sparkle. I'm sure that's the old Kalderasha. The one I never knew. I know he's not my real father, but that doesn't matter to me!"

Dante smiled at her.

"You might find it hard to believe, but he was such a wonderful father to me when I was a child...," Her eyes went wide, "Oh dear! There I go again! I'm such a chatterbox! You have to go now, don't you? Would you pass on a message to your little green friend for me? Just tell him I said thank you." She asked.

"We will," Dante confirmed, and both Harry and Dante left the room.

Yangus was waiting for them at the exit.

"C'mon, guv! 'Arry!" Yangus waved at them and left the house. Dante nodded at the fortune-teller, and also left. Harry was about to follow suit, when he suddenly remembered what he wanted the crystal ball for.

He approached Kalderasha.

"Ah, yes. May I help you, Harry?" He asked the emerald eyed young man.

Harry wasn't sure what to say.

"I'd like to have my fortune told. I need to find my home, or any way to get back." Harry managed to ask.

"Ah, I see. Lost and with no way home, I understand!" The mustached man clapped his hands, "Come! I shall tell your fortune with my crystal ball!"

Harry simply nodded and waited patiently, as Kalderasha's eyes closed in concentration.

"Yes... I see! The mists are clearing! I see it! What is this place?" The man sounded bewildered, "Large buildings that reach out to the heavens! I see them!"

Harry nodded. It sounded about right.

"But where is this place? I had never heard of any city such as this!" He exclaimed, looking at Harry pointedly.

"I'm... not from around here," Harry answered evasively, "Can you tell me more? Please, I really need to get home."

Kalderasha nodded.

"It's the least I could do, after all," He concentrated on his crystal ball again.

"Hm? What's this? I see it... A large moving shadow over the land. Hm? I don't understand...," He looked at Harry again.

"I am sorry, Harry. That was all I could see," Kalderasha said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, that's more than what I knew before. I'll just have to keep watch of large shadows, then," Harry sighed, and bid the man goodbye.

Once outside, he saw both Yangus and Dante waiting for him.

"Wot took yer so long!?" Yangus asked.

"Oh, was just saying goodbye to Kalderasha, that's all," Harry assured him, and led the way, his two new companions following.

Their way back out of the small village was spent in a rather pleasant silence.

They were greeted by the sight of Trode giving his daughter some food. He finally took note of their presence and ran to them.

"So? What happened? Did you do what the young girl asked? Hm? Well?" He asked eagerly.

"Yes, it seems that Dhoulmagus really was the one who killed Master Rylus, and he's near a town called Alexandria, which is to the south of here," Dante explained what happened.

"WHAT!? Dhoulmagus killed Master Rylus!? The same Dhoulmagus we're looking for? That fiend killed his own teacher!?" Trode looked angry. He looked up at the trio.

"And you say he headed south? Then there's no time to lose, Dante! We must go after him at once! Let's be on our way!" King Trode ordered, and made his way back to Medea and the carriage.

Harry looked to the south.

"Alexandria, here we come!" He said with a smile. He didn't know why, but he felt happy.

Happier than he had been for a long time.

**oooooooooo**

**Yay! Another chapter over. Am I glad to be done with this one! I hope you enjoy it.**


	4. Alexandria

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 03: Alexandria  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

Harry managed a glance towards the setting sun, before having to jump to his right, avoiding a lightning quick 'sword' thrust, by Dante. His grip tightened on his 'sword', and he swung it horizontally, hoping to score a hit on Dante, who simply moved his own weapon to intercept it cleanly.

Harry suppressed a whine as Dante began his onslaught of attacks yet again. He began to think he made a mistake when he had requested some training from Dante. He reasoned that he had almost gouged his eye out while fighting against Hammerhood in the waterfall cave, the day before.

Dante had quickly accepted, and ran into the woods. A few minutes later, he had returned with some sword sized sticks.

"For practice," He'd told him.

The two youths waited until the group set up camp before beginning the training. Medea had whinnied and sat in front of them, hoping to watch their little training session. It would be a nice break from all the boredom of being unable to speak to others due to her curse.

It was all going well, at first. Dante had shown him some basic sword stances, and showed him how to properly handle his sword. Harry was impressed, as he realized that even the most basic of things could help.

For example, Dante had corrected the way he held his sword. Harry had the sword grasped firmly in his hand, which was perpendicular to the handle. Dante had explained that this was a basic mistake, and that his grip should be mostly loose, and at around an angle of forty five degrees for better maneuverability. When he wished to slash, his muscles would instinctively tense up, so he didn't have to worry about concentrating, much.

"Fighting is mostly instinct. You just need to train them, and your senses as well," Dante had explained to him.

And then they sparred.

Harry thought he had some skill with the sword, seeing as he beat Hammerhood. He quickly realized that fighting monsters did not really count for anything, seeing as they possessed no formal skill in the martial arts. Dante, however, did.

And he showed it by easily working his way through Harry's defenses, and easily countering his offenses.

In short, Harry felt humiliated. He managed to dodge another thrust, before feinting to Dante's left. Surprisingly enough, Dante fell for it. Harry took the chance and managed to land a hit on Dante's right side. The stick impacted against his ribs with a loud smack. Dante winced, and Harry winced with him, imagining the pain he must have felt. Dante had never actually hit him with the sword.

He merely poked him with it, after bypassing his defenses. It was a testament to his self control.

Harry lowered the stick, and let Dante regain his bearings.

"Good. We can stop for now, Harry," Dante ordered and wobbled to the camp site, Harry following him quickly.

Dante took off his shirt, showing a large bruise on his side. Harry winced.

"Ah, sorry about that, Dante. Do you need any help with it?" Harry offered apologetically.

Dante gave him a look.

"Hm... We'll see. I happen to be capable of healing it with no trouble, but let's see if you are capable first," Dante suggested, making Harry frown. What did he mean?

Seemingly reading Harry's mind, Dante grabbed hold of his sword, and sliced at the back of his own hand. Blood started flowing out, as Dante sheathed his sword.

"Watch," He'd said before Harry could say anything.

Biting his tongue, Harry did as he was told. Dante put his other hand over the wound.

"_Heal_," Dante incanted, and before Harry's very eyes, the wound closed at an alarming rate. He looked at Harry, feeling a little drained. "Your turn, try that on my bruised ribs," Dante ordered, and turned his back to Harry, giving him space to concentrate.

"A-alright," He pointed his hand at Dante's right side, and tugged at the well of magic he had felt within him, just like he had with Hammerhood. "_Heal_," Harry spoke as he imagined Dante's bruise receding, and his skin healing up. To his utter surprise, it did just that.

"Wicked," Harry breathed.

"That feels better. Thanks, Harry! I'm going to see what Yangus got us for dinner," Dante waved at him and left Harry to himself.

"This doesn't sound anything like the magic we did at Hogwarts! I don't understand it, but I do like it very much," He muttered to himself, amazed at what he was capable of.

He made to walk, realizing how sore his muscles felt.

"Hmm," Harry thought about using that spell on himself, like Dante had done earlier.

'What could it hurt?' He held his hand over his head, willing his entire body to be healed.

"_Heal_," Almost immediately, he felt the soreness of his muscles lessen to much more manageable level. But in turn, he had drained quite a sizable amount of magic. He fell to his knees, overtaken by fatigue.

Harry heard the snorting of Medea, and turned to see her concerned look.

"I'm fine... I just didn't... expect the magic to... drain me so much," Harry said between breaths, as he patted her head reassuringly. She didn't look fully convinced, but accepted his explanation by way of a playful nudge. Harry smiled, and followed her back to the campsite.

They were greeted by Yangus, Dante, and last but not least, King Trode, who was busying himself in front of a large cauldron sitting on an open fire. The smell of meat reached his nose, and his mouth watered.

"Ah, good to see you, Harry! Come! I am making some rabbit stew! It's almost done. Come, sit!" King Trode beckoned him forward. Harry sat down with little fuss right next to Yangus, while Medea rested next to Dante, who looked at her with a gentle smile. There was something between the two, Harry thought. Something more than friendship.

Harry waited patiently as King Trode went to the carriage, and came back out with a stack of bowls, and some spoons. He handed them to each member of the group, and went back to the cauldron. Automatically, everyone got up and held their bowls in front of him, allowing the diminutive king to pour some stew for each of them.

Harry sat back down, and began eating.

"Hey, this is pretty good, old man," Harry found himself enjoying the food.

"Why thank you, Harry," The King answered before stopping. "I AM NOT AN OLD MAN!"

Yangus snorted and gave the old codger a smug look. King Trode glared back heatedly.

Dante chuckled as he fed some of the stew to his little companion, Munchie, and they all went back to enjoying their food, under the starry sky.

**oooooooooo**

_The next day..._

The small band of misfits walked along the dirt trail that led to the southern checkpoint. Harry was currently enjoying the sight of nature all around him. He took in the vibrant green color of the grass and the magnificent blue from the sky. The trees were spread out far and wide.

He took a deep breath, feeling rather content.

"Ah, it's just beyond this turn," King Trode informed them, as they made a right turn, and crossed a small wooden bridge. Harry saw another bridge ahead, made of stone. But its large gates looked mangled.

What happened here? Could Dhoulmagus have done this?

"That Dhoulmagus is a nasty piece o' work, rollin' over the checkpoint like that, eh?" Yangus frowned, "I don't care 'ow strong 'e is. He don't 'ave to go round smashin' things to prove it."

He turned to Dante, "I might not be the sharpest tool in the box, but I know one thing. An enemy o' yours is an enemy o' mine too, guv."

Dante just nodded with a smile, and they walked on the stone surface of the bridge.

"Th-this must be Dhoulmagus's doing... What terrifying power he must have to break through such formidable gates... Even if we do manage to catch up with him, what chance do we stand in the face of such might!?" King Trode muttered to himself, worriedly.

"Oh!" He seemed to realize something, "Listen to me, the voice of doom and gloom! We mustn't allow ourselves to be discouraged."

"Hear, hear!" Dante exclaimed. King Trode's mood brightened somewhat at that.

Harry thought he saw something hidden underneath the foliage of some hedges to the group's left. He immediately unsheathed his sword blocked a sword strike from... A fox?

"Oh dear!" King Trode exclaimed, as both Dante and Yangus stood on each side of Medea and Trode, protecting them from whatever else is lurking.

Harry nodded at them, and turned to look at his opponent. The fox was standing upright. It wore a green and orange vertically striped fencing shirt, and pink gloves. Baggy blue pants were above its pink boots. And to top everything off, a pink feathered cap lay on the monster's head.

All in all, it was all Harry could do not to laugh at it, let alone fight the ridiculously dressed fox.

He changed his mind when the monster drew its rapier once more and stood in a ready stance.

He gripped his sword, just the way Dante had shown him, and waited for it to make the first strike. He smirked at it. His attempt at taunting the creature seemed to work, as it glared at him with its beady black eyes and charged straight at him.

He sidestepped its attempt at skewering him with a grace that surprised him, before rushing forward with a downward slash, managing to land a deep cut into the beasts chest. It growled in pain, as its green and orange fencing shirt turned to red from all the blood it began to lose.

It lowered its head in defeat, and backed away slowly, attempting to escape. Harry simply let it leave.

There was no need for him to finish it off, after all.

"Better," Dante praised him with a smile.

"Thanks!" Harry answered back, and they kept moving. Eventually they reached a small, wooden arch just on a left turn in the road. There was something engraved in the top, but Harry couldn't make it out.

Beyond the arch, Harry saw the village. It looked much more quaint than Fareburry. Surrounded by trees, the villagers had built tall walls made of wood for protection from the local wildlife.

"This place certainly brings back memories! I spent a bit o' time 'ere before I met you, guv." Yangus said to Dante.

"I was still stuck in the old life o' crime back then, though. The place didn't look nearly so nice. Me neither for that matter," The ex-bandit reminisced, "Look at me now, though, comin' back a clean an' 'onest man. Well, 'onest at least. Who'd 'ave thought it, eh?"

Dante smiled reassuringly.

"Let's check things out. Kalderasha said that Dhoulmagus had passed by here, or that he is here right now," Dante ordered, and gave King Trode and Medea a small nod.

The king nodded back and let them be on their way, "Well, I'll stay out here with Medea, as usual."

The trio waved at them as they entered the village.

"I hope we can find something useful here," Harry said, as they walked a little bit inside, checking things out.

Harry noted the lack of merchants in the two stands in front of them. Everything was a little bit too quiet... He looked around, seeing a small church and a few houses nearby. Up the hill, and deeper into the town, Harry could make out a mansion. The city had a very pleasantly quaint feel to it. It looked like the sort of place Harry wouldn't mind living the rest of his life in.

"Halt! Who goes there?" They heard, turning to see two kids in front of them. The two seemed to be wearing fake swords and helmets.

One of them pointed his finger at them, putting on a brave face.

"Don't waste your breath scoundrels! I can spot bandits a mile off!"

Dante and Yangus looked and grinned at each other, as if sharing an inside joke. Meanwhile the first kid looked at the second one, who seemed rather scared of them.

"This is for Alistair! Come on, Mash! Let's get 'em!" The first kid called for the second one to come over.

Oddly enough, the second kid, Mash, answered, "Yessir, Bangerz!" and move forward, holding his little stick in preparation for a fight, while Bangerz attempted to draw his sword.

"Prepare to meet your maker!" Bangerz prepared to charge, but was interrupted.

"What on earth are you two rascals up to now? Stop it at once!" Harry heard an old lady's scolding voice break their concentration.

Both the kids froze up, and slowly turned to look at the stern looking old lady eyeing them with disapproval.

"Where are your manners!? That's no way to welcome travelers!" She admonished the two kids, before hitting Bangerz on his head, hoping to knock some sense into the boy.

"Ow!"

She then whacked the other boy as well, for good measure. Mash looked like he was going to cry.

"Didn't Miss Jessica ask you to run an errand for her? And here you are playing around!" She reminded the two boys, who were downcast.

As if remembering this, Bangerz put his hand behind his head sheepishly.

"Uh! I forgot!" The boy said, his eyes wide.

"You'd better run along before Jessica finds out!" She warned them.

"Yikes!" Bangerz exclaimed, before the two boys ran off.

The group watched them leave, before turning back to the old lady.

"I'm so sorry. They don't mean any harm," She assured them, "It's just that our village has been through a lot lately. Ask around for yourselves. You'll see."

"There's nothing wrong with the place, mind. It's a lovely village, really. Make yourselves at home," And with that, the old woman walked away.

"Well, we'd best be getting some information, then," Dante told the group, and they all began to make their way through the town.

"I wonder what happened here," Harry said to himself as he looked around the town.

"Ev'ryone 'ere seems a bit down in the dumps, don't they? There ain't no sign o' Dhoulmagus about though. Maybe somefin' else is botherin' 'em."

They passed by a rather small farming area. A portly man was tending to the lettuce which he was growing. The group approached the man.

"Hello," Dante greeted, grabbing his attention.

"Ah, welcome! What can I do for you?" The man said a forced pleasant attitude.

"We're sorry to bother you, sir, but we were just wondering: what happened here?" Dante asked.

Immediately the man's demeanor changed.

"It's no bother. The heir of the great Albert family, Alistair, was murdered over in the eastern tower. I reckon it was the doin' of some thief, in there after the statue of Alexandra." The man answered somberly.

"Oh, I see. Thank you for your answer," And they all left him to tend to his plants.

"Wow. You think it's Dhoulmagus?" Harry asked, once they were away enough.

"It's a possibility. We need to look around some more. Let's go check out the church," Dante suggested, and led the way. They passed by a well, with two women engaged in conversation next to it. Harry decided to stop and listen in their conversation, hiding himself behind a conveniently close enough tree.

"Master Alistair's father passed away so, although he was young, Alistair was the head of the Albert household... I just can't believe this has happened. I dread to think how his poor mother and sister, Miss Jessica, must be feeling. It must be hitting Miss Jessica particularly hard. The pair of them were always inseparable." He heard one say.

"Even though he came from an important family, he never lorded it over us. He always guarded the village for us... What a terrible waste, a lovely boy like him being killed like that. What is the world coming?" The other woman spoke, near sobs.

Harry empathized with the two's story, he himself familiar with the pain of loss. He shook his head quickly, warding off memories he did not want to face. He made his way to the church, hoping to catch up with Dante and Yangus. He found them, exiting the building.

"Any luck?" Harry asked and received a shake of Dante's head.

"You?" Dante asked.

"Yeah. The man that was killed, Alistair, lived in that big mansion from what I overheard. His father had passed away a long time ago, and his remaining relatives are his sister and mother. The sister's name is Jessica," Harry relayed what he was able to find out to the two.

"Jessica? You mean the girl who those two little kids were afraid of?" Dante asked.

"I'm not sure, but it could very well be," Harry answered.

They passed by the graveyard, taking notice of the old lady who had admonished the two little kids, Bangerz and Mash, before.

She turned to them.

"No doubt you've managed to figure out what happened? Lady Rosalind and Miss Jessica have shut themselves away inside, ever since Master Alistair's death. The poor lambs," She turned back to the grave, and began to pray.

They took it as their queue to leave.

"Wot now?" Yangus asked the other two.

"Well, since we have nowhere else to go, we could simply just go to the big mansion and ask them what happened," Dante explained.

"Yeah, they could have information on Dhoulmagus," Harry agreed with a nod.

"Aw'right then, after you guv! 'Arry!" Yangus let Dante lead the way.

They passed through a large entrance, with several archways.

"Huh, it looks smaller up close," Harry noted, as they approached the mansion. It looked more like a large house rather than an extravagant mansion, really. They passed by a maid, tending to the front lawn. She looked up at them, and beamed.

"Welcome to the Albert family residence!" She said ,before heading back to her work.

The group smiled back, and headed inside. The entrance looked extravagant. Painting lined the sides on the walls, and many lit candles were perched on golden candlesticks. In front of them, was a large set of stairs forking into two paths. On the group's sides were two doors.

They were greeted by a guardsman.

"There was never any need for a guard here in the past... I was hired just after Master Alistair died, so I'm still quite new here, really," He looked sheepish, but then gave a stern look, "That doesn't mean I'll be putting up with any shenanigans, though. Make sure you behave inside the mansion, do you hear?" He warned, and received nods in return.

"Good," The guardsman resumed his post.

As they went up the stairs, the trio saw a man dressed in noble garb, looking down at them. They finished making their way up, and went to address him. He had a self absorbed look on his face, as he began talking.

"Ha ha hah! Congratulations! You have the great pleasure of meeting... I, the world famous poet, Lorenzo!" He spoke grandly, "Not only am I the son of the Chancellor to a large and prosperous kingdom, but I'm also the lovely Jessica's fiancé. Yes, that's me!" He puffed out his chest.

"She lost her brother recently, so I came here today to comfort her. But I seem to be faced with an unexpected obstacle to our love. There are some brats in front of her room who won't let me in," He made a pained face, "Ah, the sea of true love is strewn with the flotsam of despair! But I shall crest the waves of adversity and find harbor in my lady's bosom!" He announced before looking down at the stairs once more.

As they walked away, Yangus burst out laughing.

"Wot a load o' dung!" Yangus blurted out after laughing.

"You can say that again, Yangus," Dante said with a mocking smile. Harry nodded, amused at this pathetic man's attitude.

They noticed a woman, in a finely crafted red and pink dress, sitting in front of a table, looking rather depressed. By the looks of her attire, Harry guessed she would be the mother, Lady Rosalind. But he wasn't sure.

She took notice of them as they approached her.

"Hello, ma'am," Harry greeted.

"Ah, hello. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Rosalind Albert," Rosalind introduced herself with forced grace.

"Are ye really? Don't look a day old'r than twenty!" Yangus exclaimed, and the woman blushed at the unexpected praise. Dante gave Yangus a light smack to the back of his head.

"Show some tact! Now is not the time for such things, especially with what we heard has happened...," Dante admonished, and Yangus had the good sense to look a little ashamed.

"It's alright, young man. I do appreciate the flattery," She gave a small smile, "However, you're right. Sadly, my family is currently in mourning. No one is permitted to set foot outside the house."

She sighed, "I'm afraid that my daughter is less than happy about this arrangement and has confined herself to her room. She's even asked those boys to stand guard at the door. I'm sure I don't know what's got into her," She shook her head, confused and agitated.

"Hm, kids?" Harry turned around to see Bangerz and Mash standing guard in front of a door at the end of the room. So it really was the same Jessica.

He turned to the woman.

"Thank you for your time, ma'am, and I'm sorry for your loss," Harry gave his condolences, and Dante and Yangus proceeded to the same.

The woman simply thanked them with a nod and seemed to be restraining herself from crying. Harry watched Yangus and Dante head to the two kids they had almost fought before, and gave Lady Rosalind a comforting pat on the shoulder, startling her out of her depression.

Harry gave her a gentle smile, that told of his sadness, "It's alright. I know what it feels like to lose someone very close to you. It feels good to let it out," He said, before walking away quickly, not wanting to show her his tears. He didn't know what even came over him when he said that. He was such a fool. She stared at his retreating form, before taking out a handkerchief and sobbing.

He made his way to see Dante and Yangus speaking to the two boys.

"I'm sorry about before. But not sorry enough to let you through here. I'm under orders, see. Jessica said she doesn't want to see anyone, so I can't let people through," Bangerz said to Dante with a defiant look.

"Oh, alright then," Dante answered pleasantly, before walking past them, Yangus and Harry following quickly.

"So, what do we do?" Harry asked. Yangus gave an unhelpful shrug.

"We wait it out. She can't stay in that room forever, now can she?" Dante suggested, and the two others nodded. She had to come out sometime.

They waited for a while, passing the time by telling jokes and odd stories. An hour passed and nothing happened.

"Blimey, when's she comin' out?" Yangus whined.

Dante shrugged, "Beats me, but we're going to prove that we're the more stubborn people here."

Harry grinned, before looking to the right. He thought he heard something. He got up, and looked at Dante and Yangus.

"Hey, I thought I heard something up those stairs leading up to the attic." Harry said, "You coming? Maybe the girl's sneaking out."

"...Alright, let's go check it out." They made their way to the attic and saw a rather distressed maid looking around wildly. She saw them come and jumped.

"Oh! Look out! It isn't safe here!" She pointed to a small hole at the bottom of a nearby wall.

"Just look! There's a mouse! I hate mice! Why do I have to deal with it? Ohhh...," She stammered and froze as she saw a mouse running into the whole.

"See!? See!? Did you see it? Just now!?" She rattled off, frightened. Harry held back a snicker.

"What am I going to do!? Jessica's room is on the other side of that wall! Oh, dear...," She looked stricken. Harry saw Dante's eyes widen.

'What's he thinking?' Harry wondered.

"I have an idea," Dante placed his hand in his pocket, and took out his small rodent, Munchie. He whispered some directions to it. It seemed to understand what it is he wanted, seeing as it nodded affirmatively. Dante let the small mouse in the hole, and turned to the others.

"This way, we can see if she's in her room," Dante told them with a smile.

"That's a smart little mouse you have with you, Dante," Harry said, impressed. Dante only scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, he's been with me ever since... Well, as long as I can remember, really!" That exclamation put Harry on edge. Flashes of his family's betrayer passed through his mind, but he ruthlessly squashed them. He was in an entirely new world. Animagi did not exist here.

'Or do they?' Harry had no answer.

After a few minutes, the small brown rodent came back, carrying a piece of paper in his mouth. Dante kneeled and took the offered paper, and began to read.

"I don't know who will find this letter.  
But please consider it my last will and testament. For by the time you read this, I will already be gone.  
I am going to the tower in the east.  
I will not return until my brother's death is avenged.  
Mother, I'm sorry for the damage I've caused to our family's reputation. But this is about something far bigger than tradition.  
I must follow my heart, no matter the consequences. Please forgive me.  
And to Bangerz and Mash, I'm sorry for lying to you. I hope you'll forgive me as well.

Signed, Jessica." Dante read.

"Wow," Harry managed to say, as Dante put Munchie back in his pocket, where it hanged rather cutely.

"I wonder wot this Jessica bird who wrote that letter's like. An' wot about that mouse o' yours, eh guv!? It's got some nut on it, ain't it!? Talk about clever!" Yangus exclaimed.

Dante only grinned. He was proud of his lifelong friend.

"The tower, huh. We better tell Bangerz and Mash, so they don't have to stand around all day for nothing. Let's not tell the mother, though. She'd probably be devastated," Harry said, to which both his fellow travelers nodded.

They hurried downstairs and made it to the two boys once more. Mash crinkled up his nose.

"You again? What is it?" Mash asked.

"Well, we just came to tell you that Miss Jessica is not really in her room," Dante informed the two children, who jumped up in shock.

"What!? She's not? Wait a second... You're trying to trick me. I knew you were dodgy the moment I saw you!" Bangerz glared, "Prove it! You can't just say something like that without proof! Are you a complete thicko, or what!?"

Dante answered by reading him the letter which was written by Jessica.

"What!? A letter from Jessica? No way! You're lying!" Bangerz exclaimed, disbelief written all over his face, "She's been in her room the whole time! So how could she give you a letter?"

"I dunno. It sounds sorta real to me." Mash interjected, worried.

Bangerz made a thinking pose, considering his friend's answer. He pointed at Dante, "Okay! Fine! I'll check her room! But if I'm right, you'd better leave and never come back! Got it?"

Dante nodded.

"Right. Just wait here. No running away, now!" Bangerz warned, before rushing into her room.

"Hey! She is gone!" They all heard from inside. Bangerz popped back out of the room, looking worried.

"Gimme that letter!" Bangerz snatched the piece of paper away from Dante's outstretched hand, and examined it.

"This is definitely Jessica's handwriting," The boy confirmed, "But if she really did go to the tower, she'll end up just like her brother Alistair! This is bad... This is REALLY bad... We've gotta do something! We've gotta get her out of there!" The small boy was frantic now.

He pointed accusingly at the group, "You! This is partly your fault! So I'll open the door to the tower. You go in and get her. Got it?" He managed to sound brave.

"Why would we need a kid like you to open a door?" Harry asked, amused.

"Shut up, you!" Mash defended, "Only Alexandrians know how to open the tower's door."

"I see," Dante interjected, "So where is this tower, anyway?"

"To get to the tower, go left down the path outside the village! I'll come with you, so you don't get lost!" Bangerz declared before turning to Mash.

"Listen, Mash. Whatever you do, don't let Jessica's mum find out where she went!" He ordered his friend.

"Yessir, Bangerz!" Mash saluted.

"Good! Come on! We've gotta hurry!" Bangerz turned back to the trio of men, and they all ran off, to regroup with Medea and King Trode.

**oooooooooo**

They quickly explained the situation to King Trode, and, while he was annoyed that they were not chasing Dhoulmagus, he couldn't very well let a young lady die if he could help it. Of course, the fact that she may know something about Dhoulmagus helped as well.

They made Bangerz sit in the carriage so he wouldn't suffer any unnecessary damage, as they fought the local wildlife and monsters. The sun was already setting when they were halfway to the tower.

"We stayed a while in that mansion, didn't we?" Harry noted, disgruntled at the fact that it hadn't really helped, seeing as the girl wasn't even there. And now they were going to a tower riddled with monsters, just to make sure she wouldn't die in there. Great.

The tower kept getting larger and larger as they approached it. It hadn't looked so formidable from a distance, especially with the wooden mill fan on the top.

"A bit run down, innit?" Yangus said. That was an understatement. It seemed to be overrun by weeds and vines. It looks as if no one has cared for this place for a long time.

Then again, it did give it a somewhat aesthetically pleasing appearance.

No matter, they headed to the entrance door, Bangerz following them closely.

"We made it! Jessica's in there," The small boy took a breath, "Now, let's get this door open. It's a special door, y'know. Only the people of Alexandria know how to open it," He said with a superior tone.

Seeing their disbelieving looks, he gestured to the door, "Go on, give it a try if you don't believe me."

Dante made to push the door. Nothing happened. He put both hands and pushed as much as he could. Still nothing. He tried to pull the door instead. It didn't budge. Was it locked?

Bangerz looked triumphant.

"See? I told you! Only Alexandrians know how to open this door," He pushed Dante aside and sighed.

"This is an emergency, so I'll show you how to open the door. But you have to promise never to tell anyone!" He turned to the door.

"Okay. Here we go," And with that, he reached out and grabbed the door from underneath, pulling it upwards.

"Open sesame!" He said, his hand on his hips, chest puffed out in pride.

"Pretty cool, eh? It opens from the bottom!" Bangerz laughed, before looking at the group seriously.

"Well, this is as far as I'm goin'. I'll head back to the village now. You help Jessica!" He said and ran off.

"We'll stay outside, my boy. Can't have Medea fight any of the monsters inside, now can I?" King Trode said, "I'll be waiting for you all down here."

The trio nodded, and entered the Tower of Alexandria. The immediately went the only way possible, which was a set of stairs leading upwards. The path there divided into two. The group went to the nearest door, and Harry attempted to open it. No luck.

"No good. It's shut tight. Something's blocking the other way. Let's try the other one," Harry suggested, and they headed through the second door. It leaded them into a large room. As they made their way through it, going down some staircases and crossing an indoor bridge, they noticed the sound of water running underneath them, and looked to their sides. There seemed to be some turning cogs.

"Hm... Those are probably for that large fan we saw outside," Dante reasoned, but shook his head. There was no time for this. They hurried across the bridge and opened yet another door.

"Outside? Which way now?" Harry asked, a bit lost. The group circled the tower.

"I reckon it'll be knackerin' to climb all the way up this tower. You'd be much better at it than me, guv," Yangus addressed Dante with a grin.

"That Jessica bird 'ad better not cause us no problems when we get all the way up to the top," He continued.

"That'd be annoying," Harry agreed.

They reached another set of stairs, and went through the door at the end. The next room seemed to be another passageway, but Dante managed to spot a ladder leading upwards.

"Well at least we're making progress," The brown haired youth said before climbing up, Harry and Yangus following. They exited through the door that greeted them, and they finally spotted their main destination.

"Four more floors? Come on!" Harry was annoyed.

"Go on wivout me, guv!" Yangus joked, and the mood lightened.

The mood turned sour again, however, when they entered the main building. A set of stairs was in view, yet it was blocked by a set of bars in the passageway. How were they supposed to get through?

Dante managed to spot something off the side, and ran to it.

"Hm," They heard him ponder before catching up.

Harry examined what his friend was looking at. It seemed to be some engraving in the wall, that looked like the face of a monster. Its eyes glowed an eerie blow, and it's mouth was wide open.

"I wonder what happens when I put my hand in the mouth," Dante wondered and placed his hand inside the mouth of the engraving. Suddenly, the ground they stood began to spin, as the wall Dante had put his hand in had begun to spin as well, it stopped, when they reached the other side of the wall.

"Wicked," Harry breathed, grinning excitedly, looking at an equally excited Yangus and Dante.

"Come on, let's keep moving," Dante ordered and they followed him up the stairs.

They reached a fork in the road. They saw the same engravings on two different walls to the left and right.

"Which way do we go?" Harry asked their unofficial leader.

"Well, right is right, after all," Dante said, and they all stood in front of the engraving, as Dante placed his hand inside the beast's mouth, causing the wall to turn again. They reached an empty room, with only a lit torch in the center, and yet another engraving on the wall to the left.

They didn't mind it, seeing as it was a very fun and magical experience. The other side of this wall, though, made Yangus groan.

"More stairs," He grumbled and they all walked upwards once more. They ran through a maze of hallways that led in one direction, to yet another set of stairs. They quickly made their way up, and through the now, spiraling hallway.

"Don't worry Yangus, we'll probably reach the end in the center!" Harry reassured the grumpy Yangus. They reached a small set of stairs at the end.

They knew this was the final set, seeing as the noise from the outside world was growing stronger.

"This is it," Harry said as they made it past the final step. This entire trip up here had better been worth it.

The group was not disappointed. Surrounded by manmade waterfalls and small, well tended gardens, this place almost looked like a paradise. And at the end of the room, overlooking the, now night, starry sky, stood a beautiful looking statue of an equally beautiful looking woman dressed in silky looking garments.

They approached the statue, looking around them as they did so.

"Looks like this must be the top. Feels a bit diff'rent to the other floors. No sign o' that Jessica girl Bangerz was on about though, eh?" Yangus frowned.

"Yeah, I wonder where she is," Dante agreed, and made his way to the statue, looking at it inquisitively.

Its eyes seemed to be adorned with a ruby colored jewel.

"Would ye look at the size of those jewels!" Yangus exclaimed.

Harry turned quickly, hearing something. The others followed suit.

A girl walked up the stairs, showing herself to them. She had captivating, brown eyes and long red hair, tied into two pigtails, with a few strands of it hanging over her face. She was wearing a white dress shirt with a red tie. Her skirt, was long and black. She seemed to be holding a bouquet of flowers, which she dropped when she saw their presence.

With a shocked look on her face, she started.

"You!" She glared, "I knew you'd be back for the jewels! You killed my brother! Now you'll suffer the same fate!" Looks like she heard Yangus' comment about the jewels. Crap.

With almost no warning, she conjured up several fireballs and launched them at the group. Dante leaped left and right, managing to dodge three of them. While Harry stepped in front of Yangus and tried to counter with his own fireballs. He managed to stop all except for one, which slammed ruthlessly into his chest, knocking him off his feet and burning his chest area. He fell backwards into Yangus, who held him up. She looked at their group, haughtily, and back at Dante.

"You're fast! I guess thieves need to be quick on their toes! But you won't get away from me this time!" She declared, and began charging up a massive fireball, intent on incinerating the whole lot of them. Her pigtails and dressed fluttered in the wind her power began to generate.

"Prepare... to... die!" She launched it at Dante, who looked too shocked to react. Yangus looked disbelievingly. They hadn't done anything, and now Dante was about to get hurt!

"No!" Harry yelled, and in a burst of speed he didn't know, he stood right in front of Dante, his hands stretched forward. He didn't know why he did it, seeing as he was so weakened and drained. He knew he had no chance of stopping it, seeing as a smaller fireball had done much more damage to him, but he wouldn't let his friends die without even trying. Never again would he let someone die!

"...!" He shouted as the large ball of fire impacted against his bare hands, badly burning them. But Harry held on, despite the agony he was feeling. He could feel it, though. It was overpowering him, slowly, but surely. Soon it would go right through him, and probably Dante, who was behind him.

"...No! I won't lose any more friends!" His eyes shone a powerful green and he pushed upwards with all his strength and will, redirecting the fireball's path into the ceiling, where it exploded with a loud bang. Harry managed to look up to see the falling rubble coming straight at him. He smiled as the rocks impacted him and his world went black.

**oooooooooo**

Jessica stood, shocked, as she witnessed the thief protect his leader's life by sacrificing his own. She'd thought that the people that murdered her brother were pure evil. She saw him smile in the face of death, before he was buried under a hail of rubble.

'But it seems even the bad guys had some semblance of morality,' Her morbid realization only made her even angrier. They understood morals, so why had they killed her brother!? Didn't they understand that he had a family, too!?

"Your turn!" She charged up another massive fireball, heedless of her enemies' frantic, but futile attempt at removing the rubble off of their fallen accomplice. They weren't even looking at her at this point.

'It's now or never,' She thought to herself, but hesitated.

_...Wait!_

Everyone stopped what they were doing, and looked around with alarm. Who was there!?

_Jessica, It's me! Don't you recognize my voice?_

The voice seemed to emanate from the statue.

"A-Alistair!?" Jessica exclaimed, shocked.

_Stay your spell, Jessica! I wasn't slain at their hands._

"Stay my spell? But it's too late!" She shot the spell forward, but managed to make it swerve around the group, who had finally unearthed their burned and broken comrade. He looked like he'd been through hell itself. Dante held his broken body against him, trying not to sob.

"Cor Blimey! 'Arry!" Yangus croaked.

"Please let this work...," Dante looked frantic as he pointed his hand at Harry body, hoping beyond hope that his friend was not too far gone...

"_Midheal!_" Dante almost shouted as the power of his healing magic rushed through his body and entered Harry's, making most of his wounds fade. His clothes had been tattered beyond repair, and his chest bore the presence of nasty burn scars, that Harry would have to deal with for the rest of his life.

Still, Harry was alive. And that was good enough for him.

Meanwhile, Jessica hurried forward to the statue.

"Alistair! Alistair! Is that really you?" She asked, desperately.

_It's me, Jess. You have to listen to me. As do you travelers._

The voice addressed all of them, making both Yangus and Dante turn their heads to it.

Yangus looked furious, and so did Dante, though Dante was busy fighting off angry tears.

_After I died, a part of my soul... was allowed to linger in this statue. Even now as I speak to you, the power keeping me here begins to evaporate... Time is short... Look into the statue's eyes... The truth lies within... Hurry!_

Jessica looked into the statue's shiny red eyes.

_The day I died, the door to the tower was already open. I thought it was strange. So I decided to look around and see for myself. That's when I saw him._

With a flash, they were transported into the memory. They were still in the top of the tower. Dante, still not letting go of Harry, looked behind him, and saw a youthful man, clad in armor, walk up the same stairs they all did earlier this day.

He figured it was Alistair.

Alistair was alert, and ready for combat. He surveyed his surroundings, not really finding anything out of the ordinary... Wait.

He turned back to look at the statue, and saw a jester standing before him. He was wearing a clown's outfit but with dark colors, and he had long, white hair that reached to his back. He held a wicked looking sceptre in his right hand.

"Who are you?" Alistair questioned.

The jester regarded him with his evil, black eyes.

"Such a pity," Dhoulmagus spoke, forebodingly.

"Pity...!? What are you talking about? Who are you? Answer me!" Alistair demanded.

Dhoulmagus extended his left hand.

"Me? I am Dhoulmagus. And I was referring to the fragility of human life." Dhoulmagus answered.

"Fragility? What do you mean!?" Alistair attempted to draw his sword, but it seemed to be stuck. He looked shocked.

"My... My sword! I, I can't draw my sword!" He declared.

He kept trying to unsheathe it, even as Dhoulmagus spoke.

"I said: such a pity. A terrible pity that a shining young star like you should chance to encounter me," Dhoulmagus looked genuinely disappointed at what he was about to do.

He pointed his glowing scepter at Alistair, who froze in place.

"Ngggh! What have you done... to... me...?" Alistair was visibly struggling to even speak. Dhoulmagus only gave an evil smile, and slowly walked to Alistair, closing the distance between them. Alistair couldn't even move away.

"Dhoulmagus...! I won't... forget this!" Alistair forced out with gritted teeth.

"What? You won't forget my name? You're too kind! I shall return the favor, and remember yours as well," The evil jester answered the struggling young lad.

"Now. Let us finish this before I feel any more pity...," Dhoulmagus said, enjoying the young man's suffering.

"DHOULMAGUS!" Alistair shouted, before Dhoulmagus embraced him in his arms and impaled him with the sceptre in his right hand. Alistair managed to make one more grunt of pain, before his eyes rolled back into the back of his skull, and he went limp.

Dhoulmagus held his, now dead, body up for a few more seconds, before removing his sceptre, letting the boy fall to the ground. He kneeled before it, admiring his handiwork.

"It has been an honor making your acquaintance. You may rest assured, your death will not be in vain," Dhoulmagus spoke to the dead body, reassuringly, before standing up again, and laughing.

"Ha ha ha! Mua ha ha ha! HA HA HA HA! AH HA HA HA!" The man looked positively giddy as his sceptre glowed brighter than ever. He kept laughing over Alistair's corpse, before fading out of existence.

And with another flash, they were back in the present. Dante looked at the injured Harry, making sure he was alright once more.

_And now you have seen what the statue saw, my travelling friends. I don't understand it myself. But it seems the Statue of Alexandra has been awaiting your arrival. If the memory of my tale can serve you on your quest, it would bring great relief to my soul..._

Alistair's soul addressed Jessica.

_My stay here is coming to an end. It's time for us to part..._

She shook her head furiously, and shouted, "No! Alistair! Don't leave me!"

_One final thing, Jess... Mother may try to stand in your way. Nevertheless... Follow your heart, and do as you must. Farewell, my little sister..._

Alistair's spirit faded from the area, as Jessica looked pleadingly at the heavens. There was no answer. She began sobbing uncontrollably.

Harry coughed violently, a pained grimace on his face. Yangus rushed over, making sure he was alright. Jessica had stopped her crying to look at the source of the noise. The sudden realization of what she'd done to that poor boy dawned on her, and she felt much worse than before.

"'Arry, are you alright? C'mon, get up! Ye've gotten up from worse than this!" Yangus pleaded. Harry gave no answer.

He didn't know when kid had wormed his way into his heart, but seeing Harry's pitiful state made Yangus' blood boil. He turned towards Jessica, fury evident on his gruff face.

"You! I ought'a wring yer neck for doin' this to 'Arry! 'E ain't done nothin' wrong!" Yangus stepped forward, intent on showing her a thing or two.

"No...," It was barely a whisper, but Yangus heard it.

He quickly turned, seeing Harry, looking up at him. His head was turned to their direction, and it looked like Harry was struggling to speak.

"B-but, she needs ta pay, 'Arry! None messes wif me friends and gets away with it!" He argued the boy.

"It's alright, Yangus," Harry coughed violently, "I'm fine, see?" He attempted to smile, but couldn't even quirk his lips. Seeing this, Yangus deflated, and rushed over at his side.

"Aw'right 'Arry. Save yer strength. We're gonna get ya back to full strength in a jiffy, y'hear?" Yangus ordered the boy, who gave a weak nod in return. He took him from Dante's arms and carried him on his back. Harry felt himself slowly going unconscious again, as he leaned on his friend.

As they turned to leave, Jessica stopped them.

"Um... I-I'm... I really must apologize for my behavior. I should have thought before acting... I know it probably doesn't mean much to you, but I'm sorry."

She turned her back to them, "We'll talk more later, but I need to be alone right now... I'll see you back at the village."

And with that, both Dante and Yangus, who was carrying the broken Harry, left the tower to report to King Trode and find some help for Harry as fast as possible.

**oooooooooo**

**Sort of sad that this story is not getting any recognition, but I didn't really expect any, since Harry is somewhat OOC in here.**

**As always, hope you readers enjoy what it is I'm writing! Any reviews would be appreciated.**


	5. Port Prospect

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 04: The Port Prospect  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

Harry Potter groaned softly, it felt like every cell in his body ached, and opened his eyes. He winced, as a beam of sunlight penetrated his vision and his brain swam in pain. Harry instantly shut his eyes and attempted to shield them with his hand, but only managed to slightly lift it.

He only now realized he felt as heavy as lead. Well, at least the bed he was on was comfortable.

After waiting a few moments for his light-induced headache to clear, he tried opening his eyes again. Slowly. The light was still very annoying, but Harry's eyes slowly accustomed themselves to it.

Harry weakly turned his head, trying to ascertain where he was. He spotted both Dante and Yangus, asleep in their own beds. Yangus was snoring exceedingly loudly, and seemed to be drooling, which made Harry smile amusedly. To his right, was none other than the woman who had done this to him; Miss Jessica Albert slept peacefully on a couch positioned close to his bed.

'Has she been here, looking after me?' Harry wondered. He stared at her sleeping form for a while. When not trying to kill him, Harry thought that she looked rather fetching; her nice, silky smooth neckline looked incredibly alluring to him, and he felt heat rush his face.

He heard a squeal from right in front of him, so he turned his head to look at the source. Munchie stood upright on his chest, looking at him cutely.

"Hey there. How long have you been on my chest, little guy?" Harry said, his voice low and hoarse. The cute little brown mouse jumped around his chest, answering him with charades. Munchie made sleeping motions, and extended its arms. It then pointed at him.

"Err, you came to me when I woke up?" Harry guessed. Munchie nodded its head, making Harry smile gently at it.

"Thank you, Munchie," Harry winced as he tried to move.

Munchie pointed at Harry, and then at Dante, before scampering to his face and snuggling the side of his cheek. Harry grinned.

He understood the message.

'Thank you for saving Dante,' Munchie was trying to tell him.

"You're welcome, little guy. Anything for my friends," He said and tried to prop himself up. The bed he lay on made loud, creaking noises that grated at Harry's nerves as he finally managed to sit up.

"Oh, you're awake!" He heard a female voice exclaim. Guess he wasn't the only one who was annoyed by that noise. Both Harry and Munchie turned to look at a relieved/concerned looking Jessica, laying a hand on the couch's armrest and leaning forward. Harry managed to give her a once over, before blushing and quickly meeting her gaze. God she looked nice in a dress shirt.

If she noticed his little indiscretion, she did not mention it. Instead, she hurried over to a tray table that was sitting next to the doorway, and rolled it over to him. She quickly filled a cup with water, and handed it to him. It immediately occurred to Harry that he actually _was_ rather thirsty.

He took the cup and, with one fell swoop, drank all of its contents. He gave a contented sigh, feeling refreshed.

"Thank you," Harry handed back the cup, giving her a little smile, "How long have I been unconscious?"

She winced.

"It's been a full day since you went unconscious," She shook her head, "Since I...," She trailed off.

"Oh, I see... Where exactly are we?" Harry asked.

"You're at my mansion. I figured It was least I could do," Jessica bit her lower lip.

"L-Listen, I'd like to apologize for what I've done. I was not in the best of mental states, and-," She began, but was interrupted by Harry.

"It's all right. I heard that voice, Alistair was it? I understand what you're feeling. He was your brother, wasn't he?" Harry questioned. She only nodded, trying to fight back tears.

"I've lost my Godfather some time ago, you see. So I think I can understand your pain a little. The anger, the rage, the hate... it's overwhelming, isn't it?" He seemed to be in his own world, immersed in deep, dark memories. He was shaken out of his reverie by Munchie, who kept pawing at his cheekbone. He focused back on Jessica, while absentmindedly nudging the little brown mouse.

She looked at him in wonder. She had expected scathing insults, and demands for retribution. She expected him to look at her with anger. Not understanding. Not empathy. She hadn't expected him to be so... so...

'Nice,' She thought to herself.

"I have to say, though. You pack quite a wallop! Those spells were way stronger than mine. I've only been training for a few days, though," He tried lightening the mood. It seemed to work; she gave him a playful smirk.

Harry extended his hand, "How about we start over? I'm Harry Potter."

She took it with a smile, "Jessica Albert. A pleasure."

**oooooooooo**

_The next day..._

Harry, Dante and Yangus stood in front of the Albert family's mansion. It had taken Harry another full day to completely recover from the damage inflicted on him by his new ally, Jessica Albert. Not that he minded being under her... tender care. Dante and Yangus had tried to help, but she downright threatened them with bodily harm.

She had simply told them they were guests, and not allowed to work in any way. And then proceeded to threaten them. Harry thought it was funny.

Harry chuckled. He had seen the woman at some very interesting angles, with no real repercussions! What more could he ask for?

"What're you so happy about?" Dante asked him, with Munchie in his pocket, munching on some cheese. It burped loudly, causing Dante to grin down at it warmly. He gave it some more cheese.

"Oh, nothing really. Just thinking about my time recovering," He answered with a half-truth. Yangus and Dante both gave him the same look that meant they pretty much knew what he was really thinking about.

"It's that obvious, isn't it?" Harry groaned.

"Yup," Dante confirmed.

"She's a looker, aw'right. Not my type, though. I'm sure she's got a lot to offer, but I need a girl who's a bit more racy. You know, a bit spicy, like," Yangus scratched his head.

Harry raised his eyebrows incredulously, "We are talking about the same woman that almost beat us all down with no real effort, aren't we?"

"Well, she didn't really beat you, did she?" Dante interjected thoughtfully.

"Huh?" Harry asked, confused.

"Think about it. You countered most of her attacks, and managed to deflect her strongest one. Now I'm not saying she's weak in any way, but you've only had a few days of training with your magic. I think you did great," Dante assured him with a smile.

"Right," Harry said uncertainly, not really believing any word Dante uttered, but let the matter drop. All he saw was her easily overpowering him, and if it wasn't for some stroke of luck, he probably would have died that night. He knew he had used something other than fire to block Jessica's huge fireball. He just needed to figure out how he did it. In short, he needed to train his magic more.

"Anyway, we need to catch up with her now. She left to the Port Prospect rather hurriedly," Dante began leading the way to the village's exit.

Harry didn't know exactly what happened to make her leave so quickly, but he had heard loud shouting noises during his recovery time. A few minutes later, Jessica came to his room and simply told him that she's leaving to Port Prospect. Harry had dumbly nodded and watched her leave. He quickly put two and two together; she most likely had an argument with her mother about leaving the house to avenge her brother and Lady Rosalind probably tried to force her to stay in some way.

"Hey! It's you," Just at the exit, Harry heard a familiar voice and the group turned to see Bangerz and Mash running towards them.

"Jessica told me to tell you that she said she's going to Port Prospect! She heard rumors there about some weirdo or other, and she said she's going to stop him," The boy took a breath, "If you want to go there, just head towards the tower and go right where the path splits to two. It'll be a long trip, though!"

"Oh, alright. Thank you," Dante thanked the boy and patted his head, "May we meet again."

And the three companions took their leave of Alexandria, their friendship stronger than ever.

**oooooooooo**

"Ah, Harry my boy! So glad to see you've recovered!" King Trode looked pleased at the sight of Harry walking under his own power. When he had seen him last, well... King Trode shuddered at the memory.

"Heh, I could never stay down for long, old timer," Harry answered with a smile, giving the man a handshake in greeting. The old king did not even bother admonishing the boy. Harry waved at Medea, who was right behind. She only nodded in response.

"Dante informed me of the events that occurred in the tower. You've shown immense bravery and unwavering loyalty to us when you took that fireball for him. I cannot thank you enough... I am sorry you even had to endure such a horrific situation," King Trode said gravely, a sad glint in his eye.

"Yes, well... we can only really blame Dhoulmagus. He's the one that caused all this. He's killed so many people," Harry answered.

"Yes, you're right. That diabolical Dhoulmagus! He's a cold blooded killer! A soulless savage! A vile villain of the highest order! We haven't a moment to lose! We must catch that rogue if it's the last thing we do! He'll soon feel the crushing blow of my wrath!" King Trode worked himself up, but deflated as he looked at Harry again.

"Assuming you're up for it, my boy?" He questioned.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine now," Harry assured the man and began to lead the way, the rest following.

It only took them around twenty minutes to reach the split pathway that Bangerz had told them about.

"We go right here, right? That's what that kid Bangerz said, anyway," Harry asked uncertainly. Dante only nodded in confirmation, and they all turned right. They followed the dirt trail downhill for a while, until they reached a small sandy beach. Harry could smell the strong scent of the ocean's air as he felt the wind brush past him.

"Well, we're near the ocean. That's a good sign, we must be getting close," Dante noted with a smile.

"I think you're right," Harry pointed towards a sign a little ways away from them, "With any luck, it should point to Port Prospect!"

As they all expected, the sign read exactly as predicted:

" Port Prospect -  
- Tower of Alexandria "

"We're on the right track, at least," Harry murmured to himself. Something was off, though. Things were a bit too quiet for his tastes. He turned to Dante, and began to speak.

"You know, I was wondering...," Harry began.

"Hm?" Dante beckoned him to continue.

"Well, where are the monsters? It's been awfully quiet," Harry pointed out to the bandana wearing young man, who gave a little grin.

"Oh, I was wondering when you would notice that," Dante said casually. Harry now looked even more confused.

"So you noticed, too? Maybe something's lying in wait for us," Harry looked around warily, his hand automatically reaching for the hilt of his sword.

Dante just laughed in response, "No, nothing like that." He held up a small vial, full of a transparent liquid. He handed it to Harry.

"What is that?" Harry asked curiously. It looked just like water. He uncorked the lid and sniffed at it. Yep, water. Harry saw Dante gaze at him expectantly. Maybe there was more to this than meets the eye.

"There's something I'm missing, isn't there?" He voiced out, and Dante nodded.

"I had the local priest give this water the blessings of the Goddess," Dante explained, "It has the power of repelling all monsters weaker than us. I sprayed it on our group just as soon as we left Alexandria, actually," He admitted.

"Oh, so that's what that cold, fresh feeling felt like. I'd thought it was simply a cold breeze or something," Harry looked sheepish.

The rest of the trip went rather uneventfully, with the exception of Yangus whining here and there. They went up a hill, then down a hill, then up a hill again. Harry was as miffed as Yangus was. Despite his assurances that he was completely fine, he felt more tired than he would normally be.

Thankfully, they reached the town not thirty minutes later.

"Finally! We're 'ere!" Yangus stopped and went down on his knees, his arms outstretched in triumph!

Dante just shook his head with an amused smile, and the three companions entered the town of Port Prospect, while King Trode and Medea remained outside as per usual. The entrance itself was noteworthy, seeing as it was a natural canyon between two small hillsides. Unlike the other villages they'd visited, this one was paved with stone, rather than having dirt floors.

The first thing that greeted them was the sound of seagulls and the large fountain, in the middle of the city square. People were walking around, busy socializing, or working. Some sailors walked by, cursing up a storm.

"Hey Yangus, you've been here before, right?" Dante asked his friend.

"Sure 'ave, guv. I came 'ere from Pickham, see? If ya go on the ferry from 'ere, ya get to the Southern Cont'nent," He grinned, "Heh heh heh! I know me stuff, eh!?" He turned to Harry.

"I wonder if that Jessica girl's 'ere?" He asked suggestively. Harry just palmed his face. Great.

As the sailors passed by again, Harry managed to overhear a part of their conversation.

"Everything's ready to go, apart from the ship itself! I dunno what's going on! Why can't we set sail!?" One said.

"I'm unsure, myself. One of the passengers over there said he saw something very odd at sea, and it made the captain rather scared," He explained, pointing towards the port's waiting area. There were a few benches for people to sit down while waiting for their transportation.

'Not unlike a bus station,' Harry thought to himself.

"Okay, guys. I think I have a lead," Harry quickly told them what he'd overheard, and pointed at the direction the other sailor had. They saw two men, engaged in a conversation. The first looked rather nondescript, wearing dark purple clothing, while the other was a short, portly man wearing a red robe. He had a pudgy nose, and a large moustache.

One of the two took notice of them as they approached. He turned to them and spoke.

"This gentleman here certainly has an interesting story to tell. I never imagined that sort of thing happening at sea." The nondescript man explained to them.

"What sort of thing?" Dante enquired.

"Some very strange things happened when I was on the ferry on my way over here. First of all, one of the sailors on deck spotted a man walking across the sea! We were all reeling from the shock of that when a huge monster surfaced and blocked the ship's path!" The portly man shuddered, "We somehow managed to escape and make our way here, but I was absolutely beside myself with fear for a while."

"I... see," Dante took in the information slowly, "Well, thank you for your time, sir. Have a nice day."

The man nodded at them respectfully, "Think nothing of it, young man. And a nice day to you as well."

As they walked away from that man, they began to discuss the information.

"A man walking on the water... Could it be Dhoulmagus?" Dante pondered.

"Does he really have that much power though? I'd think walking on water would consume a large amount of energy," Harry pointed out, doubtful.

"Well, I'd reckon it were him. That vision that Jessica bird's brother show'd us, we saw old Dhoulmagus do some real scary things," Yangus recalled.

"So what now?" Dante asked the two. Harry adopted a thoughtful look.

"Well, the only thing that really comes to mind is that we ask Jessica about it. Bangerz said she heard some rumors that led her straight here...," Harry suggested.

"Ah ya rascal you! Jus' wanna see 'er again, don't ya?" Yangus teased.

"Let's just look around, all right?" Harry groaned in response.

Their first destination was, of course, the local inn. She wasn't there. Dante went to speak with the owner of the establishment.

"Ah, welcome to our inn, weary travelers! Would you like to spend the night? Or just rest for a while? In either case, I can offer you a rate of 10 gold coins," The woman greeted them with a smile behind her counter.

Dante shook his head, "Ah, we're not here for that just yet, though we may come back later in the day," He assured, "But first, we were wondering if you saw a certain woman pass by here today. Her name is Jessica Albert. She's got red hair and-" Dante began explaining, but the woman cut him off.

"Well of course everyone knows Miss Jessica! This entire port was built by the famous Albert family of Alexandria! We all work for them, you see. Miss Jessica has visited the inn, not one hour past. She was heading to the shipyard, if that's any help.

"Oh, I see. Thank you for the information, ma'am," Dante thanked the woman and made to leave, his two companions following.

"It was no problem. Be sure to come in later!" They heard her say as they exited the inn.

"So, the ships? I think it's that way," Harry pointed to his right. Seems they had to cross the town square and then pass through the waiting area.

They all passed the portly man who had told them the story of a giant sea monster and reached a set of stairs leading downwards to the shipyard.

"That's tha ship, right 'ere!" Yangus spotted the ship. It was docked, just behind a large build.

"And that must be the place where you purchase the fares for the trip, right?" Harry asked, receiving a nod from Yangus.

"Well, let's go in, shall we?" Dante ordered the two, as he held the large door open for them. They quickly entered.

"This seems ta be the place. That there is the clerk for them fees," Yangus pointed to a man, standing behind a counter, looking extremely bored. The trio of friends moved forward, intent on purchasing a fee, but were stopped by someone's voice.

"I don't have time to argue! I want you to put out to sea NOW!" A female voice exclaimed angrily.

"My apologies, Miss Jessica, but the waters are simply too dangerous at the moment...," They heard a man answer back with a placating tone. Harry perked up at the mention of Jessica's name and turned quickly to the source. And immediately gawked at what he saw.

If he thought she looked good in a dress shirt and skirt before, the sight before him now caused him to openly stare.

'I must be in heaven,' Harry thought with a stupid smile on his face.

She was wearing a purple blouse with the sleeves starting at the upper part of her arm. She had a yellow, corset-like, article of clothing around her stomach and waist, which had an auburn belt around it that a small pouch hanged from. Beneath it, she wore a long, maroon colored skirt with a white frill on the bottom. Harry could tell she had brownish-black tights under skirt, tucked into pointed brown shoes.

Fleur had nothing on her.

Jessica glared at the man before her.

"Haven't you been listening? I TOLD you I'd take care of that!" She pointed at herself, obviously having stated this before. She seemed rather angry, the group noted.

"Please forgive me, Lady Jessica! There'd be hell to pay from the Albert family if we put you in danger!" The offending man kept trying to dissuade her. She huffed and looked around.

"Is there ANYONE around here with half a brain!?" She turned to see Dante, Harry and Yangus standing behind her.

Her demeanor instantly changed, and she put on a smile, "Ah! Speak of the devil!"

She jogged towards them, Harry taking note of the beautiful necklace dangled between her.. NOT NOW!

"You're the travelers from the tower! I'm glad you're here now," She clasped her hands, "Actually, I have a favor to ask. Would you mind coming over here for a minute?"

She led them to the man she was arguing with. Extending a hand to him, she began to speak.

"So, you're saying you won't let me fight the sea monster?" She asked pleasantly.

"Well, yes, but... But, I mean...," The man seemed flabbergasted.

"Fine, fine. Not to worry," She pointed a Dante, Harry and Yangus, "I've asked these sturdy men to take care of it for me. Okay?" She asked sweetly.

"Er... Oh, well... Actually, we've been looking for someone to take on that very job ourselves!" The man exclaimed, not noticing Jessica's almost unnoticeable twitch in irritation. She'd been trying to get him to agree to what she wanted for a while now, and he kept refusing because she was a woman. And now, three men show up and he's all for it!?

"Well, there you have it! Everyone's happy. Can I count on you guys?" She asked rather forcefully, trying to suppress her anger.

Harry smiled, "Yes, of course we'll help," he said kindly. Dante and Yangus nodded.

Her voice softened and she whispered, "I knew I could count on you. I still can't get what we saw in the tower out of my mind. And what I've done... Who is this Dhoulmagus, and what does he want? And why did he murder my brother?" She shook her head.

"I'll track him down to the ends of the earth. But first, we've got to make the waters safe for ships to sail. The sea monster that's standing in our way is supposed to be pretty strong. You all had better be prepared...," She warned the group.

No one moved. She took it as a sign of their being ready.

"Okay, then! Quartermaster, prepare the ship!" She ordered.

"Aye aye, sir!" The quartermaster saluted. He led the group through a series of doors, and finally onto the docking bay. After safely getting onto the ship's deck, the quartermaster began to shout his orders.

"Prepare to set sail! Weigh anchor!"

"Aye aye sir!" The crew shouted as they went into action.

Soon, they were already sailing the sea.

Dante, Harry, Yangus and Jessica were watching every side of the ship, hoping to the spot the sea monster.

"I see something! It's behind the back of the ship," The quartermaster warned everyone. True to his word, the surface of water was littered with bubbles. Most likely, something was about to surface.

The group rushed to the back of the ship, see a giant squid rise from the water's surface. It looked at them with red eyes, waving two of its purple spotted red tentacles about warningly.

"Ooh, I hates this, Tenta!" It exclaimed, while jiggling it's left tentacle around.

"I hates it too, Tickles! These nasty humans and their ships, always sailin' over poor Khalamari's head!" It answered itself, now jiggling its right tentacle about. Clearly, it was not in the highest of mental states.

"Yeah, Tenta, yeah! Humans don't have no manners!"

"That's right, Tickles, they don't have none at all, they don't! No!" It continued its own conversation, heedless of everyone else's disturbed gazes.

"That's why Khalamari's gonna stand up for all the poor creatures of the sea! Starting by eatin' these here humans!" 'Tickles' said.

"Yeah, Tickles! He'll eat 'em! Eat 'em right up!" And with that, the giant squid leaped onto the back of the ship, intent on killing everything in sight.

Dante, Jessica, Harry and Yangus stood before it. It glared down at them forebodingly, its tentacles waving around threateningly.

"...How do we go about this?" Harry started, glad it was simply looking at them for the moment. He unsheathed his sword.

"Just shoot your strongest spells at it and cut it down until there's nothing left!" Dante ordered and unsheathed his own sword. Harry nodded, and saw both Yangus and Jessica brandish their weapons.

"Hehe, like it, 'Arry? I got this scythe while you were recoverin'!" The man held the scythe and leapt at the giant monster, slashing at it. It defended itself with one of its tentacles, trying to hold him at bay. The giant squid shrieked in pain as Yangus lobbed off a part of its tentacle.

Angry, it whipped back its tentacle and tried to mow them down in one fell swoop. They all felt the impact as they slammed into one of the ship's walls, cracking it slightly. They all struggled to get on their feet.

'At least we haven't fallen in the water,' Harry thought to himself seeing the silver lining.

Dante was the first to answer back with an attack. Channeling his magic into his sword, the sword's edge lit up with a bright flame, and he slashed at Khalamari's face. The monster flinched as it received a deep cut that immediately closed because of the intense heat emanating from the sword.

Enraged, it began to breath out flames, shooting them at the group, though mostly focused on the one who hurt it, Dante.

Harry, Yangus and Jessica managed to somehow dodge the flames, but Dante came out of it with his skin a little burned by the unexpected attack.

Harry glanced to his right, seeing Jessica charging up her magic, hands cupped behind her back. A small ball of fire was growing in between her palms. Harry quickly realized that this was the same attack that had almost killed him in the tower of Alexandria. She saw his gaze, and nodded, as if conveying a message.

'If that hits the monster, it could probably kill it, if not hurt it badly!' Harry realized and began pulling at this own magic. Spheres of fire appeared in both his outstretched palms.

"I don't know how long you need to charge that up, but I'll buy you some time!" Harry shouted and began to throw the fireballs at the monster. Every time he threw one of his fireballs, another one quickly appeared in its place, allowing him to easily pepper the giant beast with continuous blasts of fire.

"Blaze barrage! How do you like it!?"

It shrieked in pain as Yangus and Dante joined in on the attack by hacking and slashing at the monster's sides, away from Harry's spell range. It howled in pain as it used its other tentacles in an attempt to protect itself.

It continued on like this for about half a minute, before Harry began to show signs of fatigue. As the time passed, his fireballs took longer and longer to charge. Eventually, when he reached the minute mark, he completely stopped his attack, unable to keep going any longer.

"It's ready!" Jessica exclaimed to his side. Harry saw the giant squid slap both Yangus and Dante away like gnats. Perfect.

Harry saw Jessica's massive fireball, as she shot it off.

"_Frizzle!_" She exclaimed, as the team watched the large sphere of flame collide with the great beasts head, exploding on contact and engulfing the monster in intense fire. It quickly fell off the back of the ship and into the water, sending out waves that rocked the ship.

Quickly helping Dante and Yangus up, the group watched the monster glare at.

"Oog, they was stronger than we thought. We give up, we give up!" It exclaimed.

"It wasn't our fault, though! It was HIS! That's right, it was!" It pleaded.

"His?" Harry asked.

"Yes, that jester, he came walkin' on top of the water to us! Just walked over us, he did! Pretty cheeky of a human to pull that little trick off, we thought, so we talked to him, we did!" Khalamari spoke. It shook its head.

"But when he talked, our head got all cloudy-like and we started attackin' ships, we did, we did!" It looked down, "It wasn't us, it was that jester, it was! Here's this by way of an apology, like. Ooh..." It held something up with its badly burnt and sliced tentacles, as a peace offering.

"We found it in the ocean, we did. Go on, take it, mate! It's the least we can do, it is, it is," It threw a golden bracer at Dante, who looked at it curiously.

"Well, that is all from us. We are leavin' now, we are. Have a pleasant trip! So long!" It said, before quickly receding in the water. Harry let out a breath he didn't know he had.

"Not bad, guys! You're a lot stronger than you look!" Jessica praised them. She looked at Harry with a smile, but then turned to Dante and Yangus.

"I never properly introduced myself to you. I'm Jessica Albert," She said brightly.

"I'm Yangus. And Dante 'ere's the guv!" Yangus exclaimed with a small grin.

"Yangus and the guv, is it? Right. Thanks again for your help with the sea monster. Now, let's find Dhoulmagus! I'm sure you need to get ready first, so let's head back to Port Prospect." She looked to her side.

"I'll tell the captain to weigh anchor," She gave them all a quick smile, and walked down the stairs which led to the captain. All three watched her walk away.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" She suddenly stopped, "I called you three thieves back at the tower, and I never formally apologized. So..."

She bowed forward, giving all three an eyeful, "Forgive me!" She looked at the ground.

"Er... It's aw'right. No need to be all formal, like!" Yangus quickly said.

"Yeah," Both Harry and Dante answered simultaneously, blushing. They looked at each other with identical grins. She smiled up at them, her pigtails fluttering with the ocean breeze.

"Anyway. I'll talk to the captain!" She walked away.

Not too much later, they heard the quartermaster began to shout his orders to go back to Port Prospect. In no time, they were all back at the docking bay.

Jessica came back to the trio of companions. Yangus and Dante were both poking fun at Harry, who seemed to be blushing. They all stopped once they noticed her approaching. Interesting. She placed a hand on her hip.

"We took care of the sea monster, so I got them to agree to wait for us," Jessica explained, "I figured you'd like to rest and buy provisions before we set sail again."

"You're right about tha'," Yangus exclaimed with a loud yawn.

"Right. I'll be waiting for you here. Don't take too long, now! We've got work to do!" She promised, and walked back inside the ship.

**oooooooooo**

"That monster was no match for us, eh!?" Yangus grinned as they all walked back into town, intent on having a good night's rest.

"I wouldn't know about that, Yangus. I remember it flicking you away like a fly," Harry joked. The stocky man scratch behind his head sheepishly.

"Hehe, it still feels good to floor somefin' that big, though, easy or not!" Yangus continued. Dante nodded, also feeling satisfied.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Dante exclaimed, before digging into his backpack and fishing out the gold bracer the giant squid had given them.

"I remember tha'! The giant squid gave that to yer, didn' 'e?" Yangus exclaimed excitedly.

"That's right," Dante confirmed. Harry looked at it warily.

"You sure we can trust something given by a monster, though?" Harry looked concerned, "Maybe it's cursed or something."

At the mention of curses, both Yangus and Dante deflated.

"You're right, 'Arry. We needs to get tha' item checked out," Yangus suggested.

"Yeah, but who has the power to do such a thing?" Harry questioned.

"Oh, that's easy. There's a church over there. The local priest can help us." Dante answered, pointing at one of the buildings they haven't entered yet.

"Right, if you're sure...," Harry said uncertainly. Perhaps the priests here were not all talk, like at his home world?

"I'm sure. How else do you think you woke up so quickly in Alexandria?" Dante asked, "Herbs and medicine?" He scoffed, "We had the local priest come in and use his healing magic on you. I have to say, it's done wonders." Dante led the way to the church.

"Oh... I see," Harry took in this new information as he followed Dante into the religious place.

The inside of the building did not look very noteworthy. There were many rows of benches laid out for people to sit during ceremonies, and there was an altar in the back of the church. Harry saw a woman standing behind the altar, dressed in religious garb. She regarded the trio with a smile.

"Wayward sheep of the great shepherdess, welcome to this house of the Goddess. How may we help you?" She began. Harry managed not to snort. So it was a Goddess here? Interesting.

"Hello there. I've come here in the hopes of finding someone capable of helping with a certain issue," Dante began. The priestess nodded, and waved for him to continue.

"You see, not too long ago, a monster handed us this golden bracer," He showed her said bracer, "And we were unsure if we should equip. It could be cursed," He explained.

"Ah, I understand. You wish for me to remove the curse, if there is one?" She enquired, and received nods in response. She gave Harry a strange look.

"Hm, I am willing to help you, though I must ask: why has your friend there not done this for you? I sense a holy power within him... But there is also something much darker," She pointed at Harry, who immediately began to finger his lightning bolt scar he received from his worst enemy, Lord Voldemort.

"Me? You're saying I could find out if it's cursed or not? It looks like a regular bracer to me. I certainly don't 'feel' anything from it," Harry pointed out nervously. She nodded wisely.

"I see. I would suppose it makes sense," She nodded, leaving the group confused, "The dark curse inside of you must have blocked your true powers," She explained, and beckoned him to come forward.

"A dark curse? In 'Arry? But he's fine!" Yangus argued, disbelief on his face. Dante only stared, silent.

"It's true. I know what she's referring to," Harry sighed, "But how did you know?" He asked the woman warily.

"I can see it as clearly as day, my boy. It lingers on in that scar on your forehead," The priestess noticed him subtly try to hide the scar. She turned to Dante, who had been silent through the whole.

"You knew of this." She stated. Harry whipped his head around wildly, glancing at Dante.

"Er, yes," Dante admitted and turned to Harry, "After the priest had healed you, Harry, he came to me asking about it. I told him I had no idea you were even cursed. He told me that this was very ancient and powerful dark magic, and that he was amazed you were even still alive. He asked me how long you've had it, but I didn't have an answer for him," Dante explained, looking at Harry uncomfortably.

"All my life, Dante. I've had this loathsome curse since I was a year old," Harry admitted with a sigh. He knew they were probably going to talk about this at the inn later. Harry turned to the priestess.

"So, this curse, what should I do about it?" Harry asked.

"I would offer to help you, but I do not possess enough power to purify you of such powerful dark magic on my own. I've heard through the grapevine that the seas are safe to sail through again once more. I would highly suggest sailing towards the Maella Abbey. I'm sure the priests there can help you," She explained, "However, I can tell you that the golden bracer you have is not cursed in any way," She tried cheering him up.

Harry nodded gravely in response, not even giving her attempt at lightening his mood any attention.

'Voldemort... I will come back, as soon as I figure out a way to de-curse myself, and a way home,' Harry promised himself grimly.

"Right. Well, thank you for your help, ma'am. Have a good day," Harry gave a small respectful bow, and left the premises quickly, his two friends trailing behind him.

"May the Goddess be with you, my child," She whispered and watched them leave.

**oooooooooo**

**Harry finds out about the Horcrux in him! I'm going to sleep now.**


	6. Setting Sail!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 05: Setting Sail  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

Emerald green eyes gazed upon the all encompassing scenery of the open sea. It was vast, wide, and stretched further than the eye could see. The rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the ship he stood on added to the calming aura of his surroundings. Yet it did not help Harry one bit.

Harry Potter was concerned. No, afraid would be a better term to describe the intensity of emotions raging within him at that moment. He had always suspected something was amiss about his famous lightning bolt scar. When he was a child, it was never really a problem; it was simply an odd looking scar that made the other kids look at him weird, not to mention Dudley's gang of bullies often chasing him around to 'teach him a lesson about trying to stand out'. But then again, they tried to make his life hell for any reason they could find. The Dursleys had told him that he had gotten it in his parent's car crash that he somehow managed to survive despite the fact his parents didn't. He had actually believed it. In his defense, he didn't know better.

When Hagrid came into his life and introduced the Wizarding World to him, Harry finally understood. It was as if a veil had been lifted from his vision and he could see clearly. His parents weren't worthless. His scar meant something. He meant something. He didn't believe it, at first, but after seeing Hagrid's feats of magic, Harry had believed.

His trip to Ollivander's had resulted in an interesting outcome. He'd received a wand that was the brother to the wand that had given him his scar.

Over the course of his first year, his scar kept acting up and he had many headaches. It was only at the end of it that he realized that it was Voldemort's presence that caused his scar to flare up in such horrible pain. He had thought it somewhat useful.

'A neat Voldemort detector,' He'd thought. He never thought to ask _why_ his scar reacted this way to his nemesis' presence. As it was, he was more concerned with the Dursleys rather than his scar.

Then his second year came around, and Professor Dumbledore had revealed to him some interesting information - after he'd had his yearly epic battle with Voldemort, of course - Dumbledore had basically all but told him that Voldemort had literally given a piece of himself to Harry when he had tried to kill him with the _Avada Kedavra. _What that exactly meant did not really register with Harry; he had understood the basics, sure. He could speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes, and he had some of Voldemort's powers. It certainly explained his strength in magic. But he just didn't think any more on that subject, preferring to enjoy the rest of the term.

It was now that his conversation with Dumbledore at the end of his second year came to mind.

"You can speak Parseltongue because Voldemort can speak Parseltongue," Harry murmured to himself, closing his eyes, trying to will the answers to come. They did not. He did not really understand.

Harry recalled the events of the day before. He, Dante and Yangus had went to the local church in the Port Prospect so that the priest -'Priestess,' Harry corrected himself- could check to see if one of the items they had acquired from a sea monster (long story) was cursed or not. Turns out, it wasn't. But that fact became irrelevant when the priestess had told Harry that there was some dark curse in his scar, leeching his life.

It was just like when Hagrid had revealed the Wizarding World to him. A veil had lifted from his eyes; only what he saw was disgusting, this time around. He had looked into himself, clearly, and saw two things. Well, you can't really describe it as seeing, but more like a sixth sense of sorts. Harry could 'see' his representation of his soul. It was a dirty white color, with a few black splotches here and there. He figured the black splotches were his faults, or mistakes; like the failed Cruciatus Curse he had attempted to use on Bellatrix Lestrange, not too long ago.

It was all right, though. No one was perfect. You couldn't expect anybody to be a saint in their life. It just is impossible. However, what really cemented his views was the sight of whatever was using his soul as food. What could only be described as a ferocious and dark 'presence' kept siphoning his life force away from him. Even now, he could feel it. It was very, very, _very_ faint, but he felt it nonetheless. Dear God, how did he never feel this before? How was he so foolish to disregard his senses?

It seemed to recognize Harry's newfound awareness of its presence. It reacted accordingly by lashing out him with dark tendrils, further strengthening its connection with his soul. A mental image of crimson red eyes flashed, causing Harry to shudder and take a few steps backwards in the real world.

'You will never get rid of me, Harry Potter.' It screeched at him, before going silent, letting the calming white noise of the ocean waves fill his ears. It did little to calm him down.

Fear and anger always came hand in hand. Anger was Harry's hiding place from fear, his shield and sword against it. He had plenty of anger within him when he was a child, being subjected to the Dursley's borderline abuse. He was pretty angry when he had faced Quirrell. The same could have been said for his encounter with Aragog and its spiders, the Basilisk, the Dementors and Sirius Black, his innocent Godfather. His anger had been an invaluable tool during the Triwizard Tournament, and it had given him strength during his fight against Voldemort, and in the Department of Mysteries.

Harry waited for the anger to harden his resolve. He waited for the rush of outrage and strength, to feel the power of it coalesce around him like a cloak.

It never came. The fear was too strong. How was he supposed to deal with something like this? Dumbledore was right, he wasn't ready at all. He was just a kid. Why did he have to deal with these problems? He didn't want any of this!

Ah, there it was. The indignation and outrage at his predicament filled him, and he willed himself to calm down.

"Anger is better than despair," He'd read that in a book, once.

"You aw'right, 'Arry?" A voice broke through Harry's little bubble, and Harry jumped in surprise, taking in a sharp breath. He spun wildly to look at a concerned looking Yangus. Distantly, he realized he had been holding his breath, and was probably looking a little blue.

"Yeah. I'm fine," He answered reassuringly. Too bad Yangus didn't look reassured.

"Look, mate. If it's about las' nigh'...," Yangus trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"No, no. It's alright. I didn't mind sharing my life story with you two. I don't regret that," And Harry really didn't. He had made real friends out of Yangus, the ex bandit, and Dante, the ex palace guardsman turned retainer to a diminutive cursed king. However ridiculous that sounded.

"Then what's wrong?" Another voice cut in. Dante had been listening in, so it seemed.

"Well, we all heard that priestess from Port Prospect, didn't we?" Harry asked rhetorically, "There's something inside of me, and I don't know how to get it out."

Both men looked uncomfortable.

"Even now, I can feel its tug on my soul. I don't know how I never felt it before. It's sickening...," Harry growled out, anger lacing his voice. Harry stopped, suddenly, and considered what he had just said. He was missing something.

"You know, something's been bothering me," Dante started, gaining Yangus and Harry's attention, "Before going to the priestess, you had never been aware of the darkness stuck to you, right?" Harry nodded in response. He'd just thought the same thing.

Seeing this as his queue to get to the point, Dante continued, "Well, now you can literally feel it in you. I realize that the priestess informed you of this curse's existence, but you still shouldn't have been able to see it..."

Harry suddenly recalled something else the priestess had told him.

"A holy power from within," Harry murmured to himself. He looked at the other two, "Come to think of it, she seemed surprised that I was not capable of checking if the gold bracer that Khalamari monster gave us was cursed or not."

"Wait a sec... I remember tha' 'Arry! She kept prattlin' on about holy power or some such," Yangus pointed out, helpfully. Dante nodded.

Holy power, huh. Maybe that's how he 'saw' the dark presence in him. But the priestess had also said something else. It was confusing at the time, so he didn't give it any heed. But now the pieces seemed to fall into place.

"She said something about the curse 'blocking my true powers'," Harry explained, "Maybe she was referring to that."

"In any case, don't try to use your new 'sight' to look outwards, just yet. With a little luck, our solution will be at the Maella Abbey," Dante reasoned, and Harry grinned at him, his anger fading away into happiness.

It was just the little things that made a person lay down their lives for another, Harry thought. Be it the simple use of a pronoun in plural form, or the simple show of support from friends (even if they were incapable of helping), Harry would treasure his true friends forever. He didn't know when, but Dante and Yangus had been added to his list of true friends.

Yangus was blunt, and brutally honest. He possessed not one ounce of tact, and he was not ashamed of it. Dante was a rather quiet fellow, preferring to speak when it was needed. He had only known these people for a few weeks or so, but Harry could already say he trusted both men with his life.

He nodded, still grinning at Dante, "I hope you're right."

From the other side of the ship, a red haired beauty watched their friendly interaction with a smile. Harry glanced at her direction, as if looking for something.

They locked eyes. He looked away, a stupid grin on his reddening face. She didn't seem to notice it, as she began to make her way towards them. Harry took in the slowly approaching beauty, quickly getting a hold of his hormones and squashing them ruthlessly. She was a friend, not some piece of meat, he told himself. He just wished she didn't look so tempting.

'Jessica Albert,' Harry repeated the name in his mind, over and over. A powerful sorceress. A stunning beauty. A vengeful woman. She joined their little group just before they had set sail to Peregrin Quay, hoping to catch up to Dhoulmagus, a foul magic wielding Jester who had cursed the King of Trodain and his daughter Medea respectively into living as a diminutive troll and a beautiful white horse. The evil man, if you could even call him that, had then went on to kill two more people: his master Rylus from Fareburry, and Jessica's own brother, Alistair Albert.

Harry remembered, with a chuckle, King Trode rushing over to the ship angrily and scolding everybody for attempting to ditch him and his daughter Medea.

'Speaking of...,' Harry looked at the ship's side to see King Trode and Medea gazing at the ocean. They must have been bored. Or maybe they were sharing an intimate moment of silence.

"Ah, there you are! So, what are you three up to?" Harry heard Jessica's voice from behind him. He turned to see the back of her head, and her bare upper back. Quickly looking past her so as to squash any feelings of lust and whatnot, Harry saw Yangus and Dante sitting on two barrels, talking about something or the other.

"Up to? Me an' the guv was just talkin', that's all," Yangus looked at her. Harry walked in front of her to stand next to Dante. He saw her lift her hand to her jaw line, a rather cute gesture.

"Guv, huh? I've been meaning to ask you about that," Jessica began, "You know, he doesn't look like your governor. If anything, it looks like the other way around. What's the story?"

Well, if anything, she was as blunt as Yangus himself. Bless him.

Yangus gave her a quick grin and jumped off the barrel he was sitting on. The wooden floor gave a little rumble as his weight hit it full force.

"Well, I'm glad you asked," He looked upwards and shook his fist excitedly, "The story of 'ow me an' the guv fell in together is an epic tale, full o' laughter, thrills, and tears..."

Harry resisted a snort. He'd heard the story last night.

"It is, is it?" Jessica looked rather delighted, "Well, why don't you just give me the highlights?"

"Aw'right, I will!" Yangus grinned at her, "It all started on a fine, summer's day... The sound of insects was deafenin'..."

"I'd just decided to make a clean break for it. I was well hacked off wiv the old bandithood. So I decided to leave the town I'd lived in me 'ole life and start fresh, like." Yangus said as he looked to the sky again.

"I ain't exactly a looker as you can see. Perhaps that's why people treated me funny everywhere I went. Like I was a thief or somefin'. I didn't 'ave no place to go and not a penny to me name, neither, so I ended up goin' back to the old game. And that's when I run into the guv 'ere," Yangus pointed at Dante, who smiled.

**oooooooooo**

_Flashback..._

_Yangus stood on a bridge in the middle of a forest, holding an axe and looking expectantly forward. It was just another day to him. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the many noises of the forests filled his hearing._

_Just another day._

_He spotted some people coming towards him and waited patiently._

_'Time to make some money,' Yangus thought and he pulled his axe out threateningly as soon as the group reached him. He did a double take. It was a young man, a horse, and... a monster? Ah well._

_"Hold it right there!" Yangus brandished his axe, "Who gave you premission to use bridge, then, eh?" He grinned savagely at them, trying to let fear do the work for him. It didn't succeed._

_"Premission!? PERMISSION!?" The green, wrinkly monster corrected, "YOUR bridge lies within MY kingdom, you oaf!"_

_"Wot you on about?" Yangus scoffed at the retort, "A creepy old codger like you, a king? Don't make me laugh!"_

_"I see your mouth is as vulgar as your face!" The diminutive troll answered, "Yes, I'M the KING! And who exactly do you think YOU are!?"_

_Yangus puffed up his chest._

_"Me? Hearing my name is enough to make anyone wet their knickers!" He spun his axe a few times for show, and stomped hard on the wood beneath him, making the rope bridge they stood on shake._

_"That's right! Yer talkin' to none other than Yangus, the legend'ry bandit, 'imself!" He declared, holding his axe at the ready._

_The young man and the troll in front of him were nonplussed._

_"Yangus?" The green man spoke. Who?_

_"The one and only!" Yangus answered with pride, "Time to cough up! You 'ave to pay if you wanna cross my bridge."_

_"The one and only Yangus!?" The troll looked downright amused at this, "What a shame there aren't more of you! Now, kindly remove your one and only self from MY bridge and clear off!"_

_Yangus growled. How dare this no name monster insult him like this?_

_"Grrr! Don't push yer luck, you green-faced freak!" Yangus shook with rage, "I would've let you go if you'd o' kept your gob shut an' paid up, but ya wanna do this the 'ard way, eh?" His voice was deceptively calm at the end. The calm before the storm._

_He leaped at the young man, intent on cleaving him in two. Yangus missed by a hair, his axe breaking through the wood he stood on. Immediately realizing his mistake, he had enough time to grab onto the nearest wooden bridge step. The entire bridge wobbled up and down, threatening him to lose his grip on the wood. He looked below him, and saw a huge drop. He yelped in fear._

_He heard the green monster laugh._

_"Now, Dante, my boy! Now's our chance to cross!" The old freak ordered, and the group ran across to the other side, leaving Yangus behind. But the young man, Dante, stopped and looked towards the bandit with concern._

_"Grrr... Just my bleedin' luck...!" Yangus struggled to hold on._

_The bridge's rope had suddenly snapped, and he managed to grab hold of one of its ends, swinging harshly into the canyon's wall. Dante looked down, and saw him holding onto the rope. Yangus the bandit was a very stubborn fellow, it seemed._

_"Now that's what I call just desserts," The green toad mocked, "As the saying goes, 'crime doesn't pay'."_

_The green toad looked forward, "Let us carry on then, Dante, my boy! There, there, my precious Medea," He cooed at his beautiful white horse, "Did the bad man scare you?"_

_They made to leave, but the green freak noticed that Dante wasn't following him. He got off his carriage, and went to see what his retainer was doing. He was pulling on the rope as hard as he could._

_"What are you doing, Dante?" He realized what Dante's actions were._

_"But he attacked us! Why the devil are you helping him?" The green man looked genuinely confused, "Just leave him! It's poetic justice! Nay, divine justice!" But Dante didn't listen, and with a final pull, hauled Yangus back to the ground._

_Dante fell back on his butt, breathing heavily, and Yangus fell forward._

_"Th-Thank you, guv'nor," Yangus was shaken, "I thought I was done for...!"_

_"What is the world coming to?" The green man sighed, "Yangus, was it? You can show your gratitude by getting out of our sight!"_

_"Hahhh... Hahhh... Yer 'avin a laugh!" Yangus spoke._

_"What? Still here? If you won't do us the favor of leaving, I'll be happy to provide some encouragement!" The diminutive troll lost its patience._

_Yangus paid the green toad no heed and turned to Dante, still on his hands and knees. He looked at the young man intently._

_"Mister Dante! N-No, guv'nor! I really owe ya! You saved me life an' ev'ryfin'! You're the bee's knees, guv!" Dante looked at him in bewilderment._

_The wrinkly old toad walked over to them._

_"Guv? What is this nonsense!? Are you a complete imbecile? This boy is my retainer! If you're in anyone's service, it's mine!" The green man said, receiving a fierce glare from Yangus._

_"Put a sock in it!" He spat at the king, "I ain't talkin' to you. Dante's the one who saved me!"_

_The diminutive king stepped back, as if he had just been slapped by an invisible hand._

_"Put a sock in...!? Who do you think you're speaking to, you, you... good-for-nothing scoundrel!" Retorted the mini troll. They kept insulting each other for the better part of an hour._

**oooooooooo**

"And that's 'ow me and guv met!" Yangus finished, proudly.

"I see. But what happened to all the laughter, thrills and tears?" Jessica asked, amused.

"Well, I'm not finished yet!" Yangus quickly said, "This is the best bit! I 'aven't told ya about 'ow the guv 'elped me go straight..."

But Jessica had already lost interest, "Whatever. You can tell me all about it later. Right now, I need some fresh air," She smiled at everyone, and walked off.

Yangus huffed and turned to Dante, "I shoulda known a bird wouldn't get a story like ours, guv. Still, no skin off my nose." Dante only laughed.

"Well I'm glad you're no longer a criminal," Harry patted the man on the back. It seemed to cheer him up a little.

Harry looked around, trying to spot Jessica. He saw some of the ship's crew doing something or the other. Probably maintenance, or cleaning up. Harry didn't really give it any thought.

He gave a small wave to his two friends, and began to walk along the ship's deck. He passed by two of the passengers engaged in small talk.

"Imagine the effort it must have taken to go from rafts and the like to enormous vessels like this. It's absolutely fascinating!" The first one, dressed in holy garb, blurted out in one breath.

He seemed to realize that he was being a little weird, so he laughed and fiddled with his moustache - a nervous gesture, "Listen to me going on! I often end up musing about civilization when I'm on a boat/ Must be the sea air!"

Harry snorted. If any of these people saw what his world looked like, they'd be completely stupefied at the most mundane of things. Hell, when he had told Yangus and Dante his story, they thought he was kidding around. They quickly realized he wasn't, though, when he continued on with his same serious tone.

Harry shook his head, and moved on. He spotted Jessica leaning against the boat's rail, looking towards the endless horizon. His feet dragged him forward and left him standing next to her. He looked towards whatever she was looking at.

She gave him a quick glance and looked back outwards.

"Hey, Harry." She greeted quietly.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Harry asked gently, and saw her mouth curve in a small smile. She sighed.

"I was just looking out across the sea and thinking about Dhoulmagus. I wonder why he went over the southern continent. And I wonder what will be waiting for us when we get there...," Jessica looked down, "It makes me nervous just thinking about it."

"You? Nervous? You're stronger than all of us combined," Harry blurted out. She giggled, and he went red with embarrassment.

"I'm not so sure about that, Harry. You handled yourself well enough in the Tower, and against the sea monster we fought yesterday," She winked, "You bought me enough time for me to unleash my _Frizzle._"

"Harry," Jessica said quickly, interrupting whatever it was Harry was about to say, "You held off a giant monster with a large barrage of _Frizz_. What did you call that attack again?" She laughed, a melodious sound, "Blaze barrage. It was creative," She praised.

"Uh, yeah... But I'm a little bit lost. What's a _Frizz_? And _Frizzle_? Are they the spells we used?" Harry asked, a touch of confusion in his tone. Jessica looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

"You really don't know any magic, do you?" She asked bluntly.

"I know magic, just not the sort that I've begun to use here," Harry defended quickly.

"What do you mean? I thought it was all the same everywhere," It was Jessica's turn to be confused.

Thinking quickly, Harry said, "Well, it's not. Where I'm from, we need the use of wands. The spells I used to be able to cast are very different than the ones I'm casting right now."

And they were. He seemed to be mostly channeling elemental magic in this world. Sure, he'd recently learned to use _Heal_, but he'd only used it twice; once on Dante, and then once on himself. He'd have to practice with it, of course. Though the fact stood; he seemed to be using fire magic a whole lot. And during his fight against Jessica, he had used some sort of barrier. He wasn't sure how he had ever managed such a barrier, but Harry had a sinking feeling it was related to this 'blocked power' that the priestess in Port Prospect was referring to.

Back to the point at hand.

In his homeland, witches and wizards used a variety of spells that covered a wide field of categories, such as cleaning, healing, cooking, enlarging/reducing spaces and sizes, warding homes, conjuring, combat... The list goes on.

The magic he was using right now, was different.

The obvious first difference is that it required no use of wands. Which Harry was happy- no, thrilled- about.

The second difference was its sheer power. Harry didn't quite understand how his wandless magic was in fact stronger than his wand magic. Since he had turned eleven years old, he had been taught that magic without a wand was inherently weaker, unless you were _really_ emotionally agitated. Accidental magic, however, was another thing entirely. He had mulled over what little knowledge he had on the subject since he began practicing it, and he came up with his own conclusion; not that he'd share it with anybody, really.

Simplicity. The magic he was using was not precise at all. It was nothing like the magic he had learned at Hogwarts; the spells were hard to master because you needed a good amount of concentration and willpower to achieve a result. Not to mention the clear mental image of what you want to happen, and the proper wand movements.

The magic here... Well, all Harry needed to do was point his hand at something, get a reasonable image of what he was going for, and unleash his power. It was akin to a fireman pointing a fire hose at something and letting loose the powerful torrent of water that'll tear anything in its way.

So why did Harry use a fire spell instead of anything else? He could've used wind, water, or lightning, or even earth.

Fact: people learn to inherently fear fire more than anything else. Why? It wasn't all that difficult to answer. Despite people's knowledge of the destructive power of water, they still don't really fear it. Water is a human being's lifelong companion. They bathe in it. They drink it. Without water, a person will die of dehydration. So it's only logical to view water as a friendly element.

Like water, wind has also been a constant companion of man; though it was capable of very powerful hurricanes and typhoons, it is usually gentle with the world. A breeze here, a cool wind there.

The earth? Despite the existence of earthquakes, people can't shake their familiarity to this element. The earth supports everyone's weight, so it would have to shudder in response. It may seem a ridiculous answer, but it is nonetheless true.

So why not fear lightning? In Harry's world, it is generally accepted that lightning has been 'tamed' by the Muggles of the world. It was probably one of the only things on the entire planet that made wizards wary of messing with their non-magical counterparts.

Which leaves the element of fire. Why fear fire, when humans fear nothing else? Fire is uncontrollable. It is a wild, ancient power that always runs rampant in the world. Animals and humans alike have been ingrained with a primal fear when faced with fire. But to wield the element of fire?

Synonymous with having incredible power over almost everything else.

Harry had not really given it any thought. When he was allowed to go to the cinema with Dudley for some occasion or the other (in which the Dursleys couldn't just drop him off with a babysitter, of course), Harry mainly saw movies jam packed with action, fighting, and a lot of explosions. Lots of fire.

Those experiences sort of stick with you.

"I see," Jessica said carefully, snapping Harry out of his reverie.

"So what _are_ these spells you spoke of?" Harry asked, interested.

She looked rather happy, "Glad you asked," She held out a hand, palm facing up. Harry stared at it for a second. Her hand was tiny, and delicate. She clenched her fist, in a sudden motion, and when it unclenched, a small ball of fire floated above her cupped palm.

'Same fire spell I have been using,' Harry noted.

"This," She created a few more fire balls and made them rotate in a circle, as if she was juggling them, smirking as she watched Harry's astonished expression, "is _Frizz_." She made a sweeping motion, and the blazing balls of fire shot out into the water, making a sizzling noise with each impact.

"I understand. So it's called Frizz, huh?" Jessica nodded at his inquiry.

Harry continued, "So I'm going to guess that _Frizzle_ is most likely a higher level of it?"

"Yes," She confirmed and cupped both hands at her side. Harry took a step back.

"The trick to this spell," She explained, brows furrowing in concentration, "Is combining the power of as many _Frizz _spells you can create, and _compressing _it into one spell. Well, as much as you can anyway," Her dress fluttered more violently than what the ocean breeze was causing, and he saw the balls of fire appear and combine, without growing too much in size.

She kept at it for around half a minute, and she stopped. A fireball about three times the size of a _Frizz_ lay compressed between her two palms which seemed to be straining against the pressure of holding such a powerful spell.

"_Frizzle!_" Jessica cried out and thrusted her arms forward, palms facing outward. The large ball of fire shot out with alarming speed. It hit the ocean water and exploded, sending rather hot water everywhere. Some even managed to reach the ship.

"Holy shit!" Harry heard Dante cry out, and swiftly turned to see Dante soaked. He had been coming their way, and had been hit by the water.

"Oh!" Jessica suddenly looked pained, and rushed to Dante, "All you all right!?"

"Uh, yeah. Just a little bit unexpected," The bandana wearing young man answered quickly.

She sighed in relief, "I bet Yangus would be upset if you weren't, eh 'guv'?" She asked. He looked a bit uncomfortable.

"It sounds weird coming from you," Dante said a bit irritably.

"Sorry, just joking! That kind of thing isn't really my style." She answered with a smile. He deflated, and smiled back. Yangus joined them not much later, and they began to talk.

Harry stood off to the side, thoughts of the spell Jessica used still in his mind.

"Combine and compress. Combine and compress...," He kept repeating himself. His eyes were closed.

He cupped his palms together and held them at his side. He mentally imagined balls of fire appearing in the space between his palms, and kept combining them. With each combination, they doubled in size, and Harry had to force it back to its original size. He could already feel its power beneath his finger tips. He kept conjuring more and more balls of fire, compressing them as he did so, until he was sure he could hold no more.

He did not notice the group staring at him. He didn't notice Jessica's amazed look.

Harry opened his eyes and looked down at his cupped palms. There was a rather large ball of fire lying between his two palms. He didn't even think he was capable of pulling it off.

His euphoria at managing to make a _Frizzle_ vanished when he began to feel the spell's wild power fighting against him. It needed to be set free. It needed to _explode_.

Harry wasted no time.

"_Frizzle_!" He shot the blazing sphere of fire out to sea, where it exploded magnificently, though Harry was sad to say that it wasn't anywhere near as good as what Jessica had been able to produce. The explosion's radius seemed to be about a third of what Jessica managed. His shoulders sagged with exhaustion, and Harry distantly noted that he was sweating rather profusely from the exertion.

"Heh," He gave a smirk at his group of friends, before falling on his backside, unable to hold himself up any longer. He saw them run towards him, but he paid more attention to Jessica's sweat-less, fresh looking self. She didn't look drained in the slightest. And her spell was three times stronger than his was.

Jessica had a lot of stamina, it seemed. He liked the sound of _that_ thought. Pervert that he was.

**ooooooooooo**

Bed time! See ya later.


	7. Setback

**Quick A/N:** I've changed my profile picture to show the appearances of the group Harry's running around with. If you need a better look at a larger picture, you can just google Dragon Quest VIII Journey of the Cursed King. Plenty of pictures online! Though, Rule 34 (There is porn of it, no exceptions) applies, so do be careful…

Sorry this took so long. I've been busy with school and such… I know, it sucks.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 06: Setback  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

Harry took deep and long breaths to regain his bearings, and managed to stand up once more. His dark green shirt clung tightly to his skin - a side effect of his drenching sweat- and he felt a little dizzy. He felt himself about to fall, when Dante rushed over and held him up, just in the nick of time.

"Thanks," Harry said tiredly.

"It's nothing. Come on, let's get you indoors. Maybe someone will let us use their bed," Dante led his friend to a door in the center of the deck. Yangus and Jessica walked alongside them.

"Yer somefin' else 'Arry," Yangus praised.

"Heh, it was nothing," Harry managed to answer between breaths.

"I don't know, Harry. It took me a fair while to be able to use that spell," Jessica defended, "I half expected the _Frizzle_ to blow up in your face."

He gave her an odd look.

"I...," He shook his head, "It had almost blown up," Harry admitted and looked down, suddenly feeling ashamed. He could've hurt a lot of people, or doomed them all. If that ball exploded, the ship could have begun to sink.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Harry. Let's just find you a nice bed," Dante interjected quickly.

"Yeah...," Harry smiled at his elder.

Yangus held the door open for them, and they went inside. To their left were stairs leading down. They saw Medea, or the horse-princess as Yangus liked to call her, standing around with a bored look in her eyes.

'Must be really hard for her, not being able to do anything,' Harry thought to himself as he felt some strength return to him. He pushed off of Dante.

"I think I can hold myself up now, just for a little while," Harry said. He needed to keep his pride, after all. He patted Medea on her neck and gave her a little smile. She seemed to understand what he conveyed to her without words, and gave him a playful nudge to try and reassure him. She wasn't going crazy anytime soon.

"That horse tethered up over there is a real beauty. I don't think I've ever seen such a fine beast."

Harry saw Medea tense. Her eyes held anger in them. He turned to see one of the ship's workers speaking to Dante, who looked rather irritated.

"The more I look at her, the more elegant she seems...," The blond haired worker managed to get out before Yangus stepped between him and Dante.

"I 'erd yer quarta' master callin' for ya! Get to it!" The ever-gruff Yangus ordered. The worker went white as pure snow and ran out the door.

Dante and Medea seemed to visibly calm down.

"You're not a beast." Dante looked at the cursed princess with sadness. He walked to her and looked straight into her eyes. "I will fix this."

He suddenly smiled, "I promised, didn't I?" Dante massaged Medea's neck a little bit, consoling her. She seemed receptive, and just leaned her head onto Dante's shoulder. Dante just laughed and continued.

"Come on Harry, let's leave Dante and Medea there. We'll find you a bed," Jessica interrupted. She was pointedly looking at Harry and Yangus.

"Aw'right." "Right."

Leaving Dante and Medea behind, the three made their way downstairs hoping to find some crewman's unused quarters, so that Harry could get some rest. There was only one door waiting.

They opened it, and entered inside.

The room itself was spacious. Harry saw some bookcases to his left. They were stock full of tomes of all kinds. Cooking recipes, hunting techniques, fishing tricks, fighting tomes... Nothing really attracted his attention.

A few polished swords lined the walls of the room. There was a large square table in the middle of it all, with maps and star charts covering most of it. On one of its corners, lay a rather odd looking cauldron.

"A cauldron?" Harry choked out, taking the notice of one of the room's occupants.

He had the looks of a soldier. A black and red uniform, with a rather ridiculous looking feathered helmet.

"Is that what it is?" The soldier said, "I'm at a loss!" He looked exasperated and pointed at the other occupant of the room. It was King Trode, the cursed King of Trodain. He seemed to be hovering over the cauldron, scrutinizing it, trying to find any faults.

"That monster-like creature's gone and made himself comfortable in my room! Doesn't a captain command ANY respect nowadays!?" He huffed. "I've asked him over and over again to leave, but he just says that someone more important than me needs the use of it."

Harry looked back to see Yangus snickering. Jessica looked amused at the situation.

To be honest, so was he.

"He's gone and strewn his luggage all over the place as well! The cheek of it!" The soldier seemed to be whining to himself more now. Harry gave him a sympathetic pat.

His fatigue forgotten, the Boy-Who-Lived walked over to the diminutive King.

"Is that what I think it is?" Harry startled King Trode out of his intense concentration.

The King looked at him blankly for a while, before nodding with a huge grin.

"I did it! I did it! I finally did it!" He seemed deliriously happy, "Perfect timing! I've got something to show you!" He pointed at the cauldron.

"Ta-daaa! Looks like a normal pot, doesn't it? But as you may have deduced, it's actually a legendary alchemy pot!" King Trode said giddily.

"Huh? Alchemy pot?" Harry's mind stopped. Alchemy. Philosopher's Stone? Harry's mind filled with possibilities. Yangus and Jessica looked at the alchemy pot dubiously.

Heedless of Harry's inner mental musings, King Trode continued, "...I can see that doesn't much to you. Allow me to explain. The alchemy pot is an invaluable tool for making different kinds of items!"

"Like wot?" Yangus asked, getting a glare from Trode.

"It lets you mix different ingredients to create hard-to-find items, armor, and weapons," King Trode answered.

"I see! That would probably be very useful to us," Jessica noted, impressed. Trode looked smug.

"After my kingdom was cursed, I thought it might come in handy and managed to spirit it out of the castle," Trode frowned, "But that's not all. I spent night after night trying to get it working again."

He made warding gestures and smiled again, "No, no. You can thank me later."

Harry snorted. So it wasn't like the alchemy from his home world.

"Right! Well, I will put it in my carriage, so why don't you give it a try when we disembark?" The diminutive troll suggested, "It's surprisingly easy to use."

Harry nodded, "Of course. But do you know any recipes? I reckon you can't just put any item combination in there and expect it work, right?"

"Indeed," The King confirmed with a regal nod that looked too ridiculous on his monster form.

But before Yangus could begin making fun of the King, one of the sailors entered the room.

"Captain! Land ho!" He addressed the odd looking soldier.

'Is that what captains are supposed to wear?' Harry asked himself incredulously, seeing the captain bark out orders at the sailor. Maybe it was how they did things here.

"Belay the rigging and prepare to make port!" The captain ordered.

"Aye aye, sir!" The sailor saluted and left.

As everyone made their way out to the deck, they saw the entire crew in action. Each was doing his/her job flawlessly. It was a beautiful sight to watch. Seeing things come together, like a well oiled machine.

"Helmsman! Bring us alongside Peregrin Quay!" The group heard the Quartermaster order and looked towards their next destination.

It was a bit of a wait, and Harry was feeling more tired by the second, but they finally docked. The ship's occupants left, leaving the group standing on the deck, alone.

"Well, it looks like we've arrived. I'll meet you outside town with Medea and the carriage," King Trode announced, "It wouldn't do to stir up the natives again with my... extraordinary appearance...!" He quickly led Medea and the carriage away.

"I'm well chuffed that we could come down south together, guv!" Yangus gave Dante a light punch to the shoulder, "I reckon I might be able to 'elp you out a bit, like."

"I'm sure you would, Yangus. Thanks," Dante answered. Yangus received similar answers from Jessica and Harry.

"I don't know how long hunting down Dhoulmagus is going to take, but we've got to keep our spirits up," Jessica said while looking at Harry, "That said, we can't take our sweet time about it, either. So let's get you rested up as quickly as possible, Harry. We might as well do the same."

"I'm fine," Harry protested, "I just need a little...," He yawned.

They all gave him an incredulous look. He ran his hand through his wild hair, looking sheepish as he did so.

"Alright, I guess I do need some rest," Harry conceded and glowered at the amused smirks his companions gave him.

**ooooooooooo**

_Later that day..._

The group, along with its new member, Jessica Albert, had already departed from Peregrin Quay. There was surprisingly little information in the port town, and it left them all feeling frustrated.

"You'd think that information gets passed around like candy in there, but we found absolutely nothing on Dhoulmagus," Harry spoke out loud without realizing it.

"Agreed, my boy. Though it was already unlikely that Dhoulmagus passed through here, considering the fact he walked on the water. There was no need for him to visit the Peregrin Quay," King Trode reasoned.

"Our only avenue, at this moment," Dante interjected, "is to go the Maella Abbey."

Harry frowned, remembering his time in the church back in the Port Prospect. Whatever was inside of him would probably not go quietly. And Harry thought it was going to involve a lot of pain.

A _lot_ of pain. Images of Christian exorcisms flashed through his mind. He distantly remembered a movie Dudley was watching at some point. About some girl possessed by the devil and doing unnatural things. The exorcism had been frightening and gruesome.

Harry sighed, and Dante gave him a quick glance. Harry just waved him off, feeling overwhelmed on the inside but using his anger to block it. Harry didn't notice his teeth clench.

"Don't worry about it." Harry ground out and took the lead, leaving behind a pensive looking Dante and Yangus.

"What was that about?" Jessica asked confusedly.

"Nuffin' ta worry yourself over!" Yangus quickly said, giving her a not-so-subtle hint.

The group followed the dirt path for a few more minutes, wondering if they were ever going to find any leads on Dhoulmagus. They made their way down the hill they were currently on, and passed by a small forest.

The party killed the time by making small talk. King Trode told them random stories and jokes to lighten their mood. Harry began to deflate, after a while, and began to share some jokes of his own.

Yangus was in the middle of a joke involving a troll and a female pixie when it happened.

"Stop," Dante suddenly ordered. Everyone stopped and looked the young man, who scanned his surroundings with an intense look in his eyes.

Harry looked around. He felt nothing.

"Are you sure you're al-," Harry began but stopped at Dante's glare.

"There's something here," The bandana wearing man murmured. He looked around some more, but then stopped moving. His eyes were closed, but Harry saw that his muscles were coiled, as if he were ready to strike at a moment's notice.

True to Harry's observation, Dante launched an assault to his right, leaping forward and bringing his sword in a mighty downward slash.

At first glance, it looked like he swiped at thin air. But low and behold, the dirt underneath his feet became stained with a purple liquid.

"So you found me…," A disembodied voice spoke eerily, in front of Dante.

The air in front of him shimmered, revealing an interesting looking creature. It was a lumpy looking thing, resembling a large cone with small hands and feet. Its skin color was green and its eyes had no pupils. It opened its mouth and laughed uproariously, its blue tongue writhing inside its mouth.

It stopped laughing and suddenly pointed its staff at the group, unnerving them. They unsheathed their weapons.

"Four on one? Not very fair, is it?" The green blob noted and planted the staff in the ground. Around it, a large crimson circle formed. The monster kept muttering in some unknown language, and Harry felt a shift in the air.

He looked to his friends and saw that they felt it as well.

He looked back at the monster.

"Whatever you're doing, I won't let you finish!" Harry shouted, power already at his fingertips.

"_Frizz._"

The ball of fire quickly formed in his palm and he threw it straight at the lumpy monster. It exploded mere inches from its face, a translucent blue shield covering its form.

"Too late!" It cackled, "My servants, I summon thee!"

The circle shined with a bright crimson light, a pentagram forming. Around the lumpy mage, three rifts formed, on from them emerged monsters.

The first was a gigantic insect, a moth. It flapped its wings and generated strong winds, making Harry shield his eyes. It took one glance at them with its purple eyes and screeched.

The second was creature bearing some resemblance to a dog. It wore plated metal armor, and held spiked collars in its hands. The collars were attached to the dog's belt with chains. It panted at them, much like a dog would.

The third was a monster resembling a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the loosest of senses. It was blue skinned and about as tall as the rest of its monster companions, its hind legs consisting of more than half its height. Its small blue hands lay uselessly in front of it. Its head sported a single humongous eye, with three antennas on each side.

"And now, the battle can begin!" The green blob exclaimed and leaped at Harry. It never got the chance to reach him, because Dante jumped between them, slashing at its side. It seemed to realize this, and parried the sword strike with its staff, showcasing agility and dexterity Harry did not think it possessed.

"I've got the green lump!" Dante yelled over his shoulder and began fighting earnestly.

"The mutt's mine!" Yangus immediately said, unsheathed his scythe and jumped to battle with glee. His scythe met the dog's spiked collars, sparks showing each time both weapons impacted each other, a testament to Yangus and the dog's strength.

"Brutes," Jessica scoffed, but there was a glint in her eye as she stared down the cycloptic blue monster. "That one's mine." She held out a whip in her right hand, and a fireball in her left hand. She gave a loud cry and leaped into the fray.

"Guess I'm fighting Mothra," Harry said wryly and unsheathed his sword, warily staring at the gigantic moth in front of him. It stared at him with its beady eyes.

"Bzzzt! You are going to make a fine meal, human!" It screeched, the sound irritating Harry's eardrums. The boy wizard shook his head, and went to battle, leaving behind a worried looking King Trode and Medea.

**oooooooooo**

_Jessica vs Winky…_

Jessica's dress fluttered as she let loose a salvo of _Frizz_ onto the little blue T-rex wannabe. The balls of fire exploded with a brilliant light, and Jessica could feel the concussive force reach her, forcing her to step back to brace herself.

When the smoke cleared, the Winky looked more or less unharmed. Its hands were lightly singed, but that was it. It tilted its head at the red haired woman, a sign of curiosity. Or maybe it was mocking her. She did not know.

She did not care, either.

She brandished her whip, and sent the tip flying at her enemy. The tip made a whistling noise, indicating the speed of Jessica's strike, but the monster leapt over her attack, and stomped down at the right moment, completely stopping the whip's movement. It grabbed at it with his foot and pulled, pulling Jessica toward it, all the while aiming a kick at her head for when she reached its range.

But Jessica was ready for it. There was the unmistakable flash of metal. Jessica drew a dagger from underneath her dress, and slashed at the creature's foot, drawing blood. It gave a hiss from… somewhere- it didn't seem to have a mouth- and let go of Jessica's whip.

Jessica didn't give the creature any time to recuperate, and she lashed out at him with her with her whip. It smacked against the creature's right side, making it shriek. Its eye turned to her and it stared her down with a baleful look.

Its eye glowed, and then Jessica felt a sharp stabbing pain blossom on her side. Her hand quickly went to her waist. Her dress was torn, and she could feel a moist, warm liquid in her hand. Blood? But… When?

She saw the monster's eye glow again, and her instincts made her drop down to the floor almost instantly. Behind her, an unfortunate tree got pierced right through its trunk.

"So that's how…," She growled out, her hand clenching against her waist. The wound, although painful, was not lethal in any way. She could still fight. And she now had a plan.

If it worked, she would win. If not, well…

'Best not think of such things,' She thought to herself and dragged herself up. She pulled at her inner coils of power, carefully moulding the energy to suit her needs for the next spell she was about to perform. Her timing needed to be perfect…

Its eye glowed.

'Now or never!' She held her hands in front of her, a quarter dome of purple energy between her and the sudden attack of the Winky.

"_Barrier!_" She shouted out, and her shield buckled under the stress of the monster's spell. The pressure eased, and Jessica noted that the monster's energy was hanging in mid-air, stuck to her shield.

"_Reflect!"_ She thought quickly and sent the energy back where it came from. It landed on its shocked target, who could only give a wide-eyed look as its own spell pierced its large eye. It died before hitting the ground.

"Serves you right…," Jessica fell on her backside, succumbing to fatigue, and held her waist in intense pain.

**oooooooooo**

_Yangus vs Chainine…_

Yangus cursed as his hits did nothing to the large dog-like creature. All of its vitals were covered by thick armor that his scythe couldn't penetrate.

No, that wasn't it.

His scythe could penetrate it, but the dog kept blocking and parrying his strikes with those stupid spiked collars of his. Frankly, it was getting annoying.

"How 'bout this, then!" Yangus gave a war cry, and made a giant leap, swinging his scythe in a downward strike, using gravity to boost the power of his hit.

The strike broke straight through the mutt's guard, and through its thick armor. Thick, red blood seeped through the armor, showing Yangus that he hit true. The dog howled in pain as it uselessly pawed at its armor, unable to reach underneath to soothe the pain.

Its pain gave way to rage, and the upright dog charged at Yangus with great fury, slashing and swiping at the stocky man with all it had.

Yangus dodged and parried as best as he could, but he wasn't exactly the smallest of targets. Many of the dog's attacks hit true, and Yangus felt many pains as the spiked collar sunk into his body, punching small holes on his back. He cried out in pain as the other collar hit his right arm, injuring him further.

Yangus roared and pushed the monster off of him, causing his injuries to become worse when the spiked collars were dragged off his skin. The dog landed on its chest, and gave out a pained cry. It hit the floor with its wounded chest taking the brunt of the impact.

Yangus had no mercy. As soon as the dog turned on its back, he stomped on its wounded chest with both his legs, applying his full weight onto the creature.

The armor cracked and bended inwards. The canine monster gave a pained gurgling noise and went still.

"Bloody mutt," Yangus gave another stomp for good measure. It was still.

Satisfied, Yangus walked away from the corpse, heading back to Medea and the old codger.

**Oooooooooo**

_Harry vs Mothra_…

This was not going well.

Harry was a little upset that Dante had chosen the apparent leader of the enemy group, but he had little time to think about such things as his opponent began attacking him after it said it was going to eat him.

Harry had dodged its first initial strikes and his counter attack had lobbed off one of its feet.

With a rather savage grin that he definitely was not capable of publicly expressing before coming to this land, Harry let his power rush through his body, and sheathed his sword. He redirected his energy to his palms, blazing balls of fiery hell forming.

"_Blaze Barrage!_" Harry called out and shot ball after ball in the monster's direction.

It did not even try to dodge. Harry smirked, knowing his attack would kill it. But then the monster glowed a bright green. It flapped its wings once and shrieked.

"_Infernus!_" With a mighty flap of its wings, it unleashed a miniature tornado, which absorbed and adapted its fireballs to its own uses. With another flap of its large wings, the moth sent the, now fiery, tornado, straight at Harry.

"Fuck!" Harry swore loudly, and braced himself, knowing there was no way to dodge this thing. He focused his inner magic, trying to get it to listen to him. He imagined himself shielded by a flame resistant cocoon. He gave a small smile, when the air around him shimmered, and a bright cloak formed around him. He relaxed-

And was promptly dragged into the tornado. Maybe he should've also blocked the wind.

The tornado roared unforgivingly, twisting and turning Harry around like a ragdoll, before throwing him aside, straight into a tree. He slammed against it harshly, and then fell to the ground with a loud thud.

The Boy Who Lived wasted no time, and dragged himself to his feet, pain clouding his mind and vision. He could make out the form of the giant moth, flying straight at him, intent on delivering the death blow.

"No… WAY!" Harry bellowed out, drawing his sword and meeting its attack head on. The blade met little resistance as it cut cleanly through the middle of the giant bug. The monster promptly fell on the floor, its body giving involuntary twitches.

His sword clattered on the earth underneath his feet as he fell to his knees, holding his sides in pain.

Still, he gave a smirk even as he gathered his magic to use a _Heal_ on himself.

Harry Potter 1, Bug 0.

**Oooooooooo**

_Dante vs Lumpy Mage_…

Dante immediately opened up with a series of sword strikes he had learned from his youth as a guardsman trainee. The strikes were a series of lightning quick piercing strikes followed by a diagonal slash. He figured it was his best bet, since piercing strikes were sometimes harder to defend against than slashes.

The plump monster cackled as it parried and dodged his strikes, using its staff to whack the boy on the head. Dante quickly reacted and blocked the offending weapon mere centimeters above his head. He held the staff in place with one hand, and lashed at the creature with his sword, intent on carving a deep wound into its body.

Realizing this, the monster leaped back, only receiving a part of the strike. It cut through its blubbery composition, making it growl and press on its chest area, trying to keep the blood from oozing too much.

"_Heal,"_ It incanted, and the wound half closed. It gave a loud curse.

For some reason, its spell was not as effective as it had thought it would be. Maybe all the effort it took in cloaking itself all this time exhausted it? Dante didn't really care.

With a battle cry, Dante rushed the creature, intent on finishing the fight.

"NO!" It held its staff aloft, and slammed it down in the ground. A shield flickered in place, surrounding it in all angles, just before Dante reached it. He made for a brutal slash that would take its lower body, but his sword collided against the shield, giving out plenty of sparks as it grinded downwards.

"While I am in this shield, none of your feeble sword strikes can hurt me!" The monster claimed, before waving its staff. The winds suddenly howled with unseen force, and Dante was sent flying. His flight was halted by a rather sturdy looking tree. He slammed into it with the force of a sledgehammer, crying out as he fell.

He got to his feet slowly, and put his hand to his mouth before coughing. He drew back his hand.

Blood.

"My, my…," The green blob gloated, before murmuring something, its pupil-less eyes lighting up with arcane power. Dante was ready this time, planting his sword in the ground, and holding on for dear life. The spell lasted for around half a minute before the lumpy mage gave up on trying to send the young warrior flying again.

"Seems you're good at nothing else but defense. Pathetic!" It taunted him.

Dante growled and thought about his current predicament. None of his attacks could go through his shield. And while inside the shield, the stupid monster kept throwing spells at him!

Throwing spells… even while inside the shield?

Dante grinned. He knew what he needed to do.

He pulled his sword out of the earth, and held it in a ready stance. He only had one chance to try this.

"Going for physical attacks again?" The monster scoffed, "Go ahead. Do your worst."

It didn't even attempt to interrupt whatever he was about to do. The arrogance.

"It ends, now!" Dante shouted and sprinted to the green monster, his sword ready.

As soon as he got within slicing range, Dante gave a feral grin, startling the green blob. Suddenly, his sword went alive with white hot flame, and he slashed horizontally at it. The shield got torn apart like so much paper, and the sword cleanly cut through the creature's head. Its head flew off its green body and fell to the floor, rolling to his feet.

Dante said nothing and rushed back to his friends.

**Oooooooooo**

After a series of _Heals_, the party was no longer in need of medical attention, though their fatigue did not diminish in the slightest. So, with the help of King Trode, the group set up camp.

The clear air began to fill with the noise of crickets and owls, with the occasional bat screeching. The moon began to rise, showering the group with its ethereal light.

Yangus took a little while to gather up some dry wood for them to start a fire, but Jessica shot a quick _Frizz _at the pile and they had a camp fire going.

Harry sat in deep thought as everyone chatted around him, sitting near the fire to keep warm. A dirty bowl lay beside him, remnants of a surprisingly delicious rabbit stew that Jessica made. Harry smiled for a second at the thought of the woman, and went back to thinking.

"You know," Harry started, making everyone look at him. "I'm having a hard time believing that was just a random ambush. That green blob had been tailing us for a while, and we never knew he was even there, until Dante here somehow realized what was going on."

"Yeh, I reckon'd it was a bit dodgy wif 'ow that happened, 'Arry," Yangus said, scratching his belly as he gave a loud burp. King Trode grimaced, looking very disgusted, and Dante gave a throaty laugh at his friend's complete lack of manners.

"So what are you suggesting then, my boy?" The green king asked Harry, who looked pensive. He looked down for a few seconds, and then looked back up.

"They may have been sent by someone to kill us… Or at least stall us," Harry finally said, grabbing a stick and poking at the fire. King Trode nodded. He had reached to that conclusion himself, once Harry had pointed out the anomaly.

"No, I don't think that's quite right," Dante disagreed, drawing looks. "It was content in just watching us. If it were aiming to fight us, it would have prepared for the occasion, instead of summoning monsters in the middle of the fight." Dante reasoned.

"And besides, the only reason it was forced to fight is because I forced it to," The young man finished.

"But who would wish to watch our movements?" King Trode asked.

"Who else?" Harry countered with a question of his own. "Dhoulmagus."

"Better question," Dante spoke, "why wouldn't Dhoulmagus simply attack us head on?"

"Reckon that Dhoulmagus is scared o' us, guv?" Yangus said with a smirk.

It sounded so ridiculous, especially after having witnessed what Dhoulmagus was capable of during the vision that Jessica's brother had showed them. But could it really be true?

Was Dhoulmagus afraid?

**Oooooooooo**

**Goodnight folks. Again, I apologize for not updating as quickly as I used to. I'm always busy doing something these days, and when I'm not, I get hit by a horrible writer's block. I finally managed to get some of my brain processes going and wrote down this chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Next chapter should be Maella Abbey and how Harry deals with what's in his curse scar...**

**Hope you like it!**


	8. Soul Battle at the Abbey!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 07: Soul Battle at the Abbey  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

_The next day…_

It was late in the morning. The sun had already risen, and the chirping of birds was strong. The smell of grass was strong in Harry's nose, yet he paid it no heed, for he was asleep.

The sound of clattering dishes reaching his ears, however, changed that. He blinked his eyes open.

King Trode was coming back, carrying a stack of clean bowls that defied his own height to the carriage. He looked quite ridiculous, attempting to balance the dishes by leaning to the left and right constantly.

Harry sat up, rubbing at his eyes, and donning his glasses. Somehow, his glasses survived the trip, and he was glad they did. It wouldn't do to be blind in an unfamiliar land.

He had been lucky that to tap in magic as quickly as he did. No, he couldn't call it magic. It was so different than the magic from his homeland. He preferred to think of it as his body energy, since it seemed to tire him out at a phenomenal rate.

Harry gave a loud yawn, and proceeded to get up and put on his equipment. He glanced around the campsite. Yangus was sound asleep, snoring so loudly Harry was amazed everyone else was still asleep.

Dante slept peacefully, despite this noise. Harry resisted a snigger when he spotted Munchie standing on his forehead, looking back at Harry cutely. It made some quick hand motions, and turned away from Harry, its tail wagging high in the air, it almost looked as it was going to…

Its tail reached down towards Dante's nose, and lightly brushed against it. No effect. Undaunted, it rubbed its tail against Dante's noise a little more. Sure enough, Dante quickly sat up and sneezed, Munchie sailing in Harry's direction, landing straight in Harry's open hand. It stared up at his grin.

"Good show!" Harry chortled as Dante blinked at them both.

"Oh, I see." He seemed to understand. "I'll have my revenge." Dante smiled.

Uh-oh.

"Revenge? What on earth are you talking about?" A groggy female voice asked. Harry turned, Munchie in hand, to see Jessica looking at them both with a little bit of annoyance and curiosity. They must have woken her up. Thick sheets were wrapped around her slender frame, making Harry's imagination about what she wore underneath run wild.

"Sorry we woke you up. Munchie here couldn't resist messing with Dante," Harry gave a nervous grin, gesturing to Munchie.

She squinted her eyes at the little brown mouse for a while, and then gave a dazzling smile.

"It's not a problem!" She got up and walked to the carriage, the sheets still perfectly wrapped around her. Harry watched her leave.

He heard stifled laughter from behind him, and whipped his head to see Dante trying not to grin like an idiot. Munchie jumped off his palm and scampered towards his owner, climbing in his pocket.

"Don't even say anything."

"Hm? I don't know what you're talking about." Dante gave an innocent look. Harry wasn't fooled.

"Good."

They spent the next ten minutes poking and prodding Yangus, trying to wake him up. A light bop to the head finally did the trick.

"Wot? Wot are you fella's doin' above me, eh?" Yangus asked, with one eye scrunched closed.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just checking what it was that Harry did to you last night while you asleep." Dante looked positively mischievous as he said that to the stocky, who suddenly glared at Harry.

'The old chap knows some tricks, he does!' Harry thought and quickly backed away from Yangus, sputtering.

"Wot'd you do to me, 'Arry! It better not be permanent," Yangus shook his fist at the boy, and made to grab the Boy Who Lived, intent on giving him a noogie.

Having lived through the life of a child at pre-school and primary school, Harry had seen the many things other kids can do to each other, him included. Over the course of the many encounters and many years, he successfully developed a standard procedure for dealing with such challenges.

Run away.

"Get back 'ere!"

"No way in hell! I didn't do anything," Harry yelled and ran like a little girl. Yangus kept trying to catch him, but his Seeker reflexes and natural speed helped him evade every single attempt at being grabbed.

"The 'ell you didn't!" Growled a cranky Yangus, who suddenly bum rushed Harry, surprising him with the move and tackling him to the ground. He got the boy in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles on the top of Harry's head.

"Say uncle!" Yangus said and cackled. Harry struggled to get loose but it was no avail.

"Never!" And so the 'epic battle' of the century began.

"Come on, say it!"

"I won't!"

"Just say uncle!"

"No!" Harry rolled them both over, making Yangus lose his grip. Harry immediately pounced on him and tried to hold him down.

It was, of course, a futile gesture. Yangus simply stood up with little effort, easily pushing Harry off of him. Harry managed to land on his feet.

"Ye're a quick one, ain't ya?" Yangus' taunt rang out in the campsite.

Harry simply gave a cocky grin in the larger man's direction.

"All right, that's enough," Dante called out, "I think we've had enough fun. Harry didn't do anything to you, I was just kidding!"

Yangus turned to Dante, "Ye tricked me!?"

Dante nodded, grinning.

Yangus and Harry shared a quick look, as if agreeing on something. In complete synchronization, they both lunged at Dante, who attempted to dodge, to no avail.

Yangus held the 'guv' down, while Harry gave him a noogie.

"Haha! Payback, how do you like it!?" Harry rubbed his knuckles against Dante's head extra hard.

It was to that scene that Jessica walked in. She stared at them incredulously, then shook her head and walked away.

"Boys."

Medea watched from the sidelines, her eyes alight with delight and amusement.

**Oooooooooo**

Almost immediately after Yangus, Dante and Harry's scuffle, to which King Trode heavily admonished them for, the group packed up their campsite and resumed their journey. Harry stood in the lead, while Yangus and Jessica stood at both sides of the carriage. Dante was at the back, surveying his surroundings idly.

It had been a few hours since they set off, and the dirt trail seemed to go on forever and ever. Eventually, though, Harry knew they would reach the Maella Abbey, a religious haven of sorts. The ragtag group was heading to the Abbey hoping to find information on the jester, Dhoulmagus, who had committed many atrocious crimes. It was even possible they'd face the evil jester, himself. Harry also had another reason to visit the Abbey. It was on the recommendation of a priestess he had met in Port Prospect. She had sensed something dark and evil from within his scar. Something alive. Naturally, it had set him on edge, but the priestess had instructed him to head to the Abbey, in the hopes of exorcising it.

They made their way up a rather steep hill. Standing at the top, Harry finally spotted something in the distance. It was a large brick structure, surrounded by a moat of water. It was about two stories high, but made up for it by its length and width, which were many times its height. All in all, it stood out in the nature around it, giving it a fierce edge to its appearance.

"This must be the Maella Abbey…," Harry murmured before turning to the others, still climbing up the hill. "I've found it! It's this way."

And with that, Harry made his way down the hill, the rest following closely. They made their way past a dingy looking, empty stable. Many sheep were strewn across the fields surrounding the group.

There were no monsters here. It was as if the aura of the place warded them off.

Holy power? Harry had never believed in such a thing. But then again, that was back in his home world. In this land, it was definitely real.

The entrance to the facility was a forked bridge. To the left, was the door leading inside the Abbey itself. Straight ahead, lay another dirt path.

"Hm, well. It seems this is where we part ways for a while," King Trode said to the group, "Medea and I will wait outside."

"All right," Dante said. "Hopefully we find something here." And the group made their way to the door leading in the Abbey.

"Good luck!" The green king waved at them.

"So this is it, huh?" Harry muttered to no one in particular.

"Yep," Dante grunted.

"What do you think we'll find in here?" Harry asked the group.

Yangus made hand gestures as he spoke. "Churches usually 'ave a fair bit o' loot. Them statues an' candlesticks look awright…," He looked around, appraising the many items even at the entrance, "But they must be keepin' the valu'ble stuff 'round back…"

He suddenly slapped himself in the face. He turned to Dante who was giving him a rather odd look.

"No, Yangus, NO! I, I 'ave washed me 'ands of all that stuff, 'onest, guv! Honest! You've gotta believe me!" The gruff man seemed pretty wound up for some reason. Maybe trying to resist the urges to be a bandit was too much for him?

Dante grinned. "I know. Calm down."

Yangus deflated. There was a small moment of silence.

"Well, why don't we go inside and see what we can find?" Jessica suggested, and everyone nodded their assent.

With that, they were welcomed by a priest at the main door. He opened the door for them.

"Welcome to the Maella Abbey." They nodded respectfully at the man, and made their way inside.

The entrance room was a shrine of sorts. A large statue of a cloaked woman with wings lay in the back, with a priest standing in front of it, preaching from the open book in his hand. Many folk, ranging from villagers, to soldiers, to pilgrims, were on their knees, praying. The walls around them were outlined with many banners, and portraits of priests were on display for all who wanted to see.

"Ah, yes. Hello, sir!" Dante walked up to one of the priests who were standing off on the side.

"Hello." The priests glanced at him.

"I was wondering if we could ask you some questions," Dante gestured to the group behind him. "You see-," but that was as far as Dante got.

"-Maella Abbey is a sacred place, under the divine protection of the Goddess," he sniffed at him disdainfully. "Leave your secular life at the door and pray for Her mercy." And with that, he looked ahead, dismissing the young man without words.

"Um…," Dante was flabbergasted.

"Let's see if there's someone else who can help." Jessica suggested. Maybe this was the only grumpy priest.

They made their way to the preaching man in front of the large statue.

Harry made to talk, but the priest beat them to it.

"Unwashed vagrants are not permitted to approach the Holy Altar!" Spittle flew out of the man's mouth, threatening to hit Harry, "May the Goddess strike you down! This is exactly why the Templars need to guard it!"

The group backed off.

"What the hell?" Dante said aloud, but kept walking around. Surely there is someone worth talking to?

They found another priest standing in a back room.

"Ah, hello," the priest greeted them.

'Well, at least he seems polite enough.' Dante thought. Maybe they would finally get some answers! But what the priest said next dashed his hopes entirely.

"If the weight of a sin bears down upon you may I suggest a contribution of gold to the abbey?" He opened his arms, as if to pray. "This will please the Goddess, and she will grant you an indulgence."

Seeing as Dante was probably not going to have any luck with this one, they all made their way back outside, trying their best not to seethe.

"What a bunch of greedy, money grubbing, tasteless, pieces of trash!" Dante ranted as soon as they exited.

"Aye, guv. Me 'n' churches just don't go together. Or me 'n' abbeys. Or wotever ya wanna call 'em." He gave a grin, trying to lighten the mood. "Nah, I'm a pub man meself. Churches are good for 'avin' a snooze, an' pubs are good for 'avin' some booze! Hah hah!"

Dante's face broke into a small smile, before going back to its scowl.

"The people here are so snobbish and arrogant," Jessica noted. "It's nothing like the church in Alexandria."

"Yeah this place reeks of corruption," Harry agreed.

There was a mournful sigh from behind them. They turned to see the priest who had led the in the building, looking old beyond his years.

"I am sorry that such fine young people as yourselves have been disillusioned so quickly…," The priest sighed. "I see many people come and go to this holy place. Only the most faithful hold onto their faith in the Goddess. The rest are driven away by the priests inside."

"Where do you fit in all this?" Harry wondered aloud.

The man gave a tired smile. "Ah. You see, my boy, there was a disagreement in the lower management of the Abbey. I was unable to hold my tongue when I was asked of the possible improvements we priests could make." He shook his head ruefully. "Thus I am stuck with the job of opening the door to the many travellers who pass through this place."

He looked at them, "I may as well be doing nothing at all."

"Oh. I'm sorry, sir." Dante apologized.

"Oh, no, no. Think nothing of it, child. Might I ask what brings you to this Abbey?"

Harry took over. "We came for two things. The first is information on a man called Dhoulmagus. He wears a jester's outfit. He carries a scepter around with him at all times. Have you seen him, by any chance?" Harry looked hopeful.

Jessica looked at him askance. Two things? What was the second thing?

The man looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I have not seen any men who fit such a description."

"Oh. Thank you for trying." Harry thanked the man, who waved it off.

"And what might the second reason for your visit be?" The priest asked patiently. Jessica leaned forward.

Harry frowned, and tried to find a way to say it. Mulling it over in his head, he decided to go for the direct approach.

"I was told by a priestess in Port Prospect that there is something very dark and evil residing in this," He flashed his scar at the priest, who reached out to examine it. Harry made no move to stop him. The priest's fingers got very close to the tell-tale lightning bolt scar on his forehead, but never made contact. His face was scrunched up with concentration, and apprehension as he began to feel what was inside the scar.

"By the Goddess… How are you still alive?" He sputtered aloud then stopped. "Ah, I see. I see. The power of the Goddess burns strongly within you, child." The priest seemed astonished at what he found.

"This will need an exorcism, child…" The man spoke warily.

"Exorcism!" Harry heard Jessica shout from behind him. He turned to see her brown eyes angrily glaring at him. She looked quite put off at not being told. Harry just shrugged and turned back to the priest.

"Can it be done?" Harry questioned the older man.

"Yes, it can. It was wise of the priestess of Port Prospect to send you here. Small churches do not possess the tools needed for powerful exorcisms like yours. We, however, do." The priest informed him.

"That's great," Harry sighed in relief. "Will you need the help of other priests for it?"

The man shook his head. "No, I should be capable of conducting the procedure on my own. To be safe, however, I shall enlist the help of two other priests I personally know. You may bring your friends with you as well."

Harry sputtered. "Right now!?"

The old man cracked, giving a small, amused smile. "Goodness, no. I have my duty as a priest to this Abbey. Meet me back here, at sundown. I shall be waiting for you."

"In the meantime," He gestured back to the Abbey, "You may be able to acquire more information if you head deeper into the Abbey. There are many Templars stationed there, as well as other priests. Perhaps you will find your information there."

"Thank you," Harry gushed gratefully.

"Think nothing of it, my child." He opened the door for them, and they stepped in again.

As soon as the door closed, Jessica whacked Harry in the back of his head.

"Ow!" Harry exclaimed and glared at Jessica. She shook her fist at him.

"An exorcism! When were you going to tell any of us!" She seemed livid.

"It's my own business," he snapped at her. "And besides, I've already told Yangus and Dante. Everyone has their secrets, you know."

She glared at him, but his reasoning was sound. She relented, with a sigh.

Dante pointed to the rear left corner of the entrance room. It was a small hallway leading to a door.

"Let's go through there," Dante said and they all followed. He held the door open, and Harry, Jessica and Yangus entered first, with him following.

Harry looked around. They were in a courtyard, it seemed. A large fountain stood proudly in the center, with various ornaments carved from stone adorning the four corners. He walked closer to it, to examine it more closely. There were engravings on the stone, but it looked like gibberish to him. He turned away from the fountain, to see a priest and a noble speaking together. The noble looked pretty miffed, while the priest wore an impassive face.

"Let's see what those two know," Harry said and walked to the two aforementioned priests.

"Hello, sir," Harry began with a respectful nod to the noble man. He was a rather short fellow, with a big round nose and beady black eyes.

"Good morning," He tried to be composed but couldn't hold his irritation in.

"Is something the matter?" Harry asked, faking a look of concern. That did the trick.

"The abbey's demanding 'donations' from me now, you know!" He blurted out. "It never used to be the case. Not when the old Templar Captain was in charge."

"And what do you have to say about it?" Jessica interjected, looking pointedly at the priest. He looked rather intimidated for a moment, before adopting his passive face once more.

"This church is in dire need of repair. We are only asking for a small amount of gold for conducting a mass for the anniversary of this man's grandmother's passing. Surely you can understand?" He said without inflection.

This made the noble man angrier, and he started telling off the priest.

"Why, I never! In all my years, I have not seen such greed, such depravity, such-"

The group pulled away from the two, realizing that the conversation was going nowhere.

"Well that were interestin'," Yangus exclaimed.

"Undoubtedly, but we still have not gathered any information on Dhoulmagus," Jessica said.

"True."

"There are still those two guards standing on the other side of the courtyard," Harry pointed out.

Without any word, the group headed to the two men. They were both very tall and muscular. Their uniform was plain; a hooded blue robe. The hood was kept down, and a wooden cross hanged from their necks over the robe. Swords were strapped to their waists. They may have looked plain, but they carried themselves with an air of authority and a noticeable amount of grace.

As soon as they got close enough, the two guards stopped them.

"Halt! Who goes there?" One said.

Before the group's members could introduce themselves, the other guard continued.

"I don't know you! What are you doing in here!?" He barked out, preparing to draw his sword. Meanwhile, the other guard waved his hand in a warding gesture.

"You need special permission to enter here."

The one who was about to draw his sword spoke. "Leave! Now! Unless you want to die by a Templar's sword!"

'Okay, this is escalating too quickly. What is wrong with these people!?' Harry thought to himself, tensing up.

A banging noise was heard from above them. They all looked up to see open windows. Two men were holding them open on each side, with the leader standing in between. He looked down at them disdainfully. His shoulder length black hair was slicked back, showing off a defined widow's peak. He had piercing green eyes. His outfit differed from the rest of his followers, marking him as the Captain of the Templars. He wore a golden necklace.

"I ordered you to keep strangers out, not to be rude," He bit out. The guards looked well intimidated. "We have a reputation. Do you want to sully the name of the Templars!?"

Both guards immediately kneeled before the leader.

"Marcello!?"

"I'm sorry, Captain Marcello!"

The leader, Marcello, raised an arm to his chest. His features morphed into a cocky smile.

"I apologize for the heavy-handedness of my men. We've had some troubles with strangers of late," He peered down at them. "Our duty is to protect the abbey. We cannot permit… nameless travellers to wander around at will."

"Matters within the abbey are trouble enough," He muttered a bit too loud. "But that's no concern of yours!"

He made eye contact with Dante. Marcello smirked, and half turned, his eyes not leaving Dante's.

"These are the Templars' quarters anyway. I trust you have no business here, so I would ask you to leave. I warn you, my men are ill at ease. I may not be able to stop them next time."

With that infuriating smirk on his face, he walked back inside the building, his two guards slamming the windows closed.

"Who does that guy think he is!?" Harry fumed at the treatment they received.

"Captain Marcello is the presiding head of the Templars," one of the guards answered his rhetorical question. "As the most able among us, he was appointed by Abbot Francisco to act as his aide. He is entrusted to carry out the majority of the Holy Father's business."

"What are you doing?" The other guard, the one who had went to draw his sword, spat at his colleague. He turned to the others. "Curse you! Now I'm in the Captain's bad books! Get out of here!"

In a bad mood, they began to make their way outside of the Abbey.

"The Templars certainly seem to think highly of themselves, don't they?" Jessica said, irritated. "Who do they think they are, talking to us like that? What a bunch of arrogant idiots. I can't wait to get out of this place."

"You have to say, though, that Marcello fellow seemed to have these Templars on a tight leash," Harry noted. Yangus nodded in agreement.

"That old gaffer bloke just now came across as the quiet type, but 'e 'ad a glint in 'is eye. I don't reckon 'e misses a trick," Yangus spoke. "Dhoulmagus won't be gettin' in wivout a fight. That's fer sure."

They finally reached the outside, once more. The only good priest they had come across stood at the entrance, waiting for them.

"Any luck?" The priest asked.

"The Templars," Dante spat, "did not see it fit to share any information with 'nameless travellers'."

"I see," with that, the priest turned to Harry. "I know I've told you we could begin at sunset, but as luck would have it, I managed to enlist the help of two trusted priests- merely a few minutes ago, in fact!"

"Oh," Harry answered. "Are… Are you sure those priests are trustworthy? You seem to be the only one here who is not overrun by greed."

The priest shook his head with a smile. "There are many priests here. I doubt you've met the majority of them. I managed to get one of my colleagues to take my position here for the rest of the day, while I conduct this exorcism."

"The question remains; are you ready?"

"Yes." Harry said instantly, his eagerness to get rid of whatever is ailing him overrunning his fear with ease.

"All right. Follow me." The priest instructed, and he walked along the right side of the facility. They followed him. Looking over his shoulder, Harry saw another man take the priest's place.

"May I ask what your name is?" Harry asked the priest aiding him. Harry felt very odd accepting help from a man whose name he did not even know.

"Oh, excuse me," he stopped, shaking his head. "Where are my manners? My name is Thomas."

"Thomas," Harry rolled the word around in his mouth. "I'm Harry Potter."

They shook hands and continued walking.

**Oooooooooo**

Thomas led the group down into the cellar. It was very well lit, with various holy items lying on a table at the far end of the room itself. Many crosses and depictions of a cloaked and hooded woman holding a staff adorned the walls. A large rectangular table stood in the center. There were five straps hooked up to it. Small ones in each corner, and a large one in the middle. They were obviously used to hold down people being exorcised.

The priest, Thomas, walked beside it.

"Now," He began, and gestured at the table. He motioned for Harry to lay on it. "This is where I will conduct the exorcism in question. However, before we begin, I must go fetch my fellow priests to aid me in this endeavor. While I am sure I am capable of handling it myself, you simply can't take enough precautionary measures in situations such as this."

"I understand," Harry answered, and Thomas the priest left the room, leaving Harry, Yangus, Dante and Jessica alone.

"Dante," Harry called out to his friend.

"Yes, Harry?" Dante answered.

"I… If something… I mean…," Harry seemed at a loss of words. He cleared his throat, and spoke again. "If whatever is in me takes over… Kill me."

"_What!"_ Jessica exclaimed, shock registering on her face. Harry didn't have to look at her to see it. Harry didn't even pay attention to her. He looked unblinkingly at Dante.

"I…," Dante was speechless. How could his friend even ask that? "Harry, you're my friend. I can't."

"You may have to."

"No."

"Dante! I can't let whatever's in me get loose! If that happens-"

"Shut up!" Dante roared. Harry's eyes went wide with shock. "It won't happen! You better make sure it won't happen, or I'll kill you myself, resurrect you, and then kill you again! You understand!?"

Harry nodded dumbly, overwhelmed by the vehemence of Dante's statement. He looked to the others. Jessica seemed in a state of shock at the entire situation. He couldn't blame her; who else has lingering traces of an evil spirit or whatever in his/her body? Yangus observed them silently, but tilted his head in Dante's direction, signifying his agreement with the bandana wearing young man.

"I'm wiv the guv, 'ere. Don't fail. We've still got ta find that Dhoulmagus, don't we?"

"I guess you're right, Yangus, Dante." With that, they all deflated and spent the remainder of the waiting time in silence. As the seconds turned into minutes, Harry's wariness turned into outright fear. Was he going to survive? What in the name of Merlin was he going to face? Could he even handle it?

Fortunately, the beginnings of panic got squashed by the arrival of Thomas. At his sides were two other priests. They all gave respectful nods to the four friends.

Thomas gestured for the other two priests to begin without him, and he addressed Harry.

"Now, as my brothers make the necessary preparations for the exorcism, I shall tell you what you should expect in this ordeal," Thomas the priest calmly spoke, as his fellow priests were working. One grabbed a piece of chalk from the table at the far end of the room and drew a circle on the floor surrounding the table. The other held a vial of holy water in his hands, and he poured it on the restraining table, and on the floor surrounding it, careful to not let it touch the chalk circle. He murmured prayers in a low tone of voice.

Thomas gestured to the two, "As you may be able to tell, the chalk circle will act as a barrier of sorts, whereas the holy water shall take the role of deterrent of all evil. The effect is compounded by the fact that we stand on holy ground."

"But do not relent," Thomas said before Harry got any ideas. "Evil spirits are tenacious. The fact that they are weakened may anger them more and, if given enough time, they may still win. So strike it down hard, and fast."

"You're saying I have to fight it?" Harry blurted out. Thomas only shook his head.

"I've done exorcisms before, my child," Thomas admitted. "One man claimed he had an intense arm wrestling game with the spirit inhabiting him, and won. A woman said she had a horse race with the darkness inside of her, so I really do not know what you will be facing in the far reaches of your mind. However, make NO mistake. It IS a fight; a fight for your soul itself."

Harry nodded, sobered up by that last statement.

"The preparations are ready," One of the other priests said.

"Then let us not waste any time!" Thomas declared and gestured to the restraining table.

Harry took one last look at his friends. They seemed worried. He gave a piercing gaze to Dante, telling him what must be done if he failed. Dante only returned the gaze with a defiant glare. Harry shook his head and smiled. Yangus looked pretty harried, and Jessica was having trouble reining in her emotions. She wrapped him in a hug.

"Er… Jessica." Harry stammered. The hug felt nice. He hugged her back.

"Don't you dare lose." Her voice came out muffled.

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Harry said automatically. She looked up at him, with tears in her eyes, as if trying to confirm something. She nodded, and backed away. She stood between Dante and Yangus.

"Are you ready, Harry?" Thomas' voice came from behind him.

Harry turned to the man. "I'm ready."

He walked to the restraining table, stepping over the chalk circle so as not to ruin it. He got on, and lay on his back, the only thing in his vision being the wooden ceiling, and Thomas' kind face.

"I shall now restrain you," He informed the Boy Who Lived, and began the process of tying Harry's hands and feet to the table. He finished with the middle strap going over his hips. Harry tried moving his hand and feet. They barely moved. Good.

"I shall now put you in an induced sleep, and coax out the evil spirit in you. You will fight your inner darkness in the dreamland. Good luck." And with that, the priest rested his hand on Harry's forehead, muttering a prayer to the Goddess. The language was archaic to Harry's ears, but from what he could understand, the priest was asking the Goddess to put Harry to sleep, so he could face the evil within.

"That's silly," Harry said. "Why couldn't you just ask her in the normal fashio-," He fell asleep. Thomas had the sense to look amused at that comment. His mood soured when he felt the unholy dark power envelop Harry. Almost immediately, another power, emerald green in color, surfaced, clashing with the dark power, in a control for dominance.

The priests hurried out of the circle, and nodded at his brothers.

"Close the circle."

The two priests folded their hands, and began muttering. The air around Harry shimmered as holy power enveloped the boy, forming a translucent cylindrical shield.

"May the Goddess help you on your battle, my child."

**Oooooooooo**

_With Harry…_

"-n?" Harry finished his sentence but realized he was in another place entirely. He looked around.

He gasped, unable to keep his shock in check. He was in the Great Hall in Hogwarts! The long dining tables were missing, though the thousands of candles floating overhead were still there. He looked up into the velvety black ceiling, drinking in the happy memories of this place.

"Harry Potter…," Harry tense and turned to see a face he had not seen in three years. He was a boy of about sixteen years of age, dressed in Hogwarts' robes, with the changes to them indicating he was in the Slytherin House. A silver prefect's badge was glinting on his chest. He had jet black hair, but his eyes were as red as blood.

"Surprised to see me?" The boy spoke, and walked around the Great Hall, examining everything around them.

"You!" Harry growled out. The other boy simply smiled, a mocking expression.

"Yes, me. You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?" The red eyed boy taunted him.

"I destroyed you in the Chamber! How are you here, Riddle!?" Harry asked. Riddle merely smirked.

"Luckily I was able to latch on to your own soul, despite the fact that my diary was destroyed." He informed Harry.

"What?" Harry was confused, "How?"

Harry didn't know why, but Riddle was answering his questions. Perhaps he was compelled to do so?

"It was a very fortunate turn of events, you see. I was able to enter your body because there was already something Voldemort, my future self, had left in here…" Riddle explained as if he was talking of the weather. It made Harry sick.

"A piece of Voldemort already in me… The scar!?" Harry reasoned out, and Riddle nodded.

"As you may or may not be able to tell, we are not capable of lying to each other in this domain," Riddle said distastefully. He pulled out his wand, crimson eyes flashing dangerously.

"Let us begin." With no other warning, Riddle began.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Harry dropped to the floor, narrowly dodging the Killing Curse. It flew past him, and exploded against the wall, scorching it coal black.

Harry sprang into action, his sword in hand. He dodged another Killing Curse and a Bone-Breaker, finally reaching the elder wizard.

Riddle waved his wand, a wall of earth appearing into place in front of Harry, stopped his vertical strike. Harry heard laughter from the other side as the wall exploded, showering Harry with bits and pieces of rock.

He rolled on the ground, lessening the impact, and quickly got up. Perhaps he needed another approach.

"_Frizz_!" Balls of white hot fire appeared in his palms, and he threw them at Riddle, who seemed amused.

"Pathetic. _Protego_." He waved his wand lazily, a shield shimmering into existence in front of him. The fire balls didn't slow down in the slightest, simply passing through the shield and smashing into Riddle, sending him flying. He fell in a crumpled heap on the stone floor, gasping for breath.

"What!? This is not possible!" He shrieked, and got up, rage dominating his features.

Riddle brandished his wand at Harry, and slashed at the air. Almost immediately, Harry dodged the invisible blades of wind shot by the wand. And for good reason; the blades sliced against the wall behind him, showing a sizeable gouge.

Undeterred, Tom Riddle sent more wind blades at Harry, managed to land a few cuts on his right arm, his scalp, and his left leg.

Riddle, however, was not done, as he sent a fiery whip at Harry, who had not been able to regain his footing after that assault.

The whip flew at him with considerable speed. Harry had a flash of remembrance, and imagined himself enveloped in a flame resistant cocoon, just like in his fight against the gigantic moth. His power answered to him, and enveloped his body like a second skin. With a triumphant smirk on his face, and using his Seeker reflexes, Harry held onto the fiery whip just before it his body, and _pulled._

Volde-Riddle immediately lost his footing, unable to understand what just happened, and stumbled forward in time to see Harry's sword flash. The sword plowed through Riddle's stomach, and came out of his back.

"You're finished," Harry declared, and pulled his sword back out. Riddle fell to the floor, unmoving.

Harry began to walk away from it.

"_Finished… Am I?_" A disembodied voice spoke from all around him. The Great Hall shattered out from view, bathing everything into total, absolute darkness…

Harry had fallen and scrambled hastily to his feet. There was a distinct lack of noise, and the darkness pressed into his eyes. Was this death? No, Harry could still feel the pain from the cuts on his arm and leg and scalp.

Harry stood, ready for anything.

But nothing happened. It appeared he was alone. Gritting his teeth, Harry stubbornly waited, his sword ready to strike at whoever showed himself.

"I know where you are, Harry Potter."

"Yeah, right. You can't see me, just like I can't see you." Harry pointed out, inwardly relieved at the sound of life.

"Oh, but I can hear you, Potter! _Avada Kedavra_!" A green flash of light illuminated the darkness around them, heading straight for Harry, who jumped to the side. The light flew past him, and the area around them darkened once more.

Harry stood ready to face anything, except he was attacked from behind. Harry felt a spell hit him from behind.

"_Crucio!_" Shouted Volde-Riddle with utter glee, as Harry writhed on the dark floor in pure agony.

"Careless, Potter," Said Volde-Riddle's all-encompassing voice. "So careless. I expected better of you."

Every cell in Harry's body screamed in pain. It felt like white-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin. His scar throbbed with intense pain, and he screamed.

Suddenly the pain, stopped. Harry shuddered painfully as he got up. He gathered all his energy and held it in his right arm, letting it build up. A minuscule ball of light flared in his palm, though it was hidden from his enemy.

"I tire of our game," Said Volde-Riddle's voice, and Harry somehow saw him standing before the Boy Who Lived. "Perhaps I can end it quickly for you."

The shuddering suddenly stopped, and Harry felt empowered by… something. He glared at his arch enemy. "End this!"

A gigantic stream of fire exploded out of Harry's outstretched hand, taking Riddle unaware. His enemy screamed as the white hot stream of fire ate away at his very being. Harry's nose was assaulted by the smell of burning flesh, and he heard a loud sizzling noise.

"You may have won the battle today…," Growled out the dark spectre, beginning to lose its form in the inferno of fire. "But there are others like me. You will never get rid of me, Harry Potter!"

And with that, the spectre gave a final shriek before the fire completely consumed it.

**Oooooooooooo**

**And there it is! I suppose my fights could take longer, but prolonged fights are not really what I'm going for.**


	9. Bob and Simpleton

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 08: Bob and Simpleton  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

Harry kept his stream of fire going for as long as he could manage it. For all he knew, whatever he'd just killed wasn't dead yet. So he kept pouring out his energy for a full minute, before cutting off the flow. The fire died abruptly, the darkness around them gaining a modicum of strength. It still did not fully envelop Harry like in the beginning, and he understood why.

Where Riddle's spectre once stood was now a ball of pure green energy. It bathed the immediate area in its emerald green hue. Harry stared at it, as it began to reshape itself into a human form.

"_How long are you going to keep looking at me?_" A voice sounded out of the humanoid looking energy.

Harry stepped back, startled.

"You-You can talk?" Harry sputtered out, trying to wrap his head around the situation.

"_You can talk?_" It mocked. "_No wonder you almost lost to Riddle. You're hopeless if me talking surprises you."_

Anger overrode Harry's disbelief.

"Almost lost? I beat him!" Harry protested to the energy in front of him.

"_Barely. We stand on holy ground, and I suppressed most of Riddle's powers, while giving you a part of my own…_ _And you STILL couldn't properly hold your own. You should've finished him off when you knocked him down on the floor with your Frizz. But what do you do? You give him enough time to get up and try to kill us!_" The voice ranted.

"Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do!?" Harry roared.

"_We're this deep in your psyche and you still don't know?_" It sounded exasperated, and Harry could imagine such a look on its face- if it had one.

"_I'm part of your _SOUL_, idiot. What do you think has been holding back Voldemort's soul piece all these years?_" The voice said.

"What? I don't understand… If you're my soul, then what am I?" Harry looked confused. "Am I just some copy?"

"_I said I'm a PART of your soul. We're one and the same, you and I, much as I would hate to admit."_

"And you've been fighting Voldemort's soul… for almost sixteen years?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"_Try almost fifteen years, consider that snake fucking cocksucker tried to kill us when we were one._" The voice answered with vehemence.

Harry quirked an eyebrow, momentarily forgetting his situation. "Are you always this… colorful?"

"_Blow me. I've been fighting a losing battle ever since our second year where more of Voldemort's soul latched onto us. I had the upper hand before you decided that it was a good idea to dive headlong in the Chamber of Secrets and attempt to fight a Basilisk with nothing but a sword… And then give Riddle's soul fragment a free spot to go with its brother. How we're still alive having this conversation is mind boggling._" It was very angry with him.

"I guess you're right..," Harry conceded.

"_Damn straight I am!" _The voice answered.

"So what do I call you?" Harry asked.

"_What the flying Merlin's nut sack do you mean? I'm YOU. My name is Harry, just as much as it is yours._"

"You still need a name though. We can't go calling each other Harry all the time, can we?" Harry asked rhetorically.

"_Point taken. So what's my new name?_" It pulsed as it spoke.

"How about Ember? You're like a fiery spirit." Harry suggested.

"_No, that's about as shitty as Dudder's midnight bathroom adventures,"_ The voice spoke, and they both shuddered. Harry remembered having to clean those up a few years back. It definitely was not a good time.

"For the record, let's not mention _that_ again. Got any names you like?"

"_Let's go with Bob._"

"Bob?"

"_Bob."_

"Really?"

"_That's the name I want, damn it! So shut the hell up and accept it like a real man would."_

"Fine, fine!" Harry waved the voice, now Bob, dismissively. "Your name's Bob now."

"_Awesome._" It answered smugly.

"So what now? Do we merge together or something? Regain our power?" Harry asked, confused.

"_I've got no clue. Even if we could, do you really want to? Our personalities would merge too. After fighting Riddle for fifteen fucking years and having absorbed part of him after this little 'exorcism' that nice priest pulled, do you really want to merge with me?"_ Bob asked the Boy-Who-Lived, who shook his head.

"Then what? And wait," Harry interjected. "What do you mean you absorbed part of him?"

"_Mind any company in your head?_" It said amusedly, giving no indication it heard his question.

"What do you mean you absorbed part of him?" Harry repeated.

"_You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" _Bob quipped. "_Alright, fine. Yes, I've absorbed part of Voldemort. It was inevitable, seeing as you defeated him, and the nearest thing was me. I've taken part of him, and made it my own. This, of course, has some benefits!"_

"Which are?" Harry asked.

"_Well, for starters, I've acquired some of his memories."_ Bob let that comment sink in.

"…memories?" Harry questioned, his mind swimming in the possibilities.

"_Yeah. Nothing too complicated. I know how to apparate, for one. We'll work on that. Next, there's –_" Bob was saying but Harry interrupted him.

"Apparate? Don't I need a wand for that?"

"_No, you don't need it. It's purely from within. It's different than shooting spells. ANYWAY!"_Bob said before Harry could say anything. "_There is another piece of information that I was left with_."

Several images appeared before Harry's eyes.

A heavy looking golden locket with a serpentine _S_. Words appeared above it: '_Slytherin's Locket'._

A small golden cup with two finely-wrought handles with a badger engraved on the side and a few jewels. '_Hufflepuff's Chalice'._

A gold ring inset with a black stone engraved with a strange triangular shape. '_Marvolo Gaunt's Ring'._

A large snake that Harry easily recognized. '_Nagini_'.

A rather worn looking book. '_Tom Marvolo Riddle's Diary_'.

An extravagant looking diadem. '_Ravenclaw's diadem_'.

A small child with emerald green eyes and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. '_Harry Potter_'.

"W-what is this?" Harry stepped back, unable to understand, but not wanting to, either.

"_Do you know what it is we fought earlier?_" Bob asked him softly.

"A memory." Harry answered quickly.

"_Ah, you remember what Riddle said, then? I suppose it could be seen as a memory. No, Harry. This is much more complicated than a simple memory, but you already know that, don't you?" _It pulsed. "_Voldemort's memories tell me that these are called Horcruxes."_

"Horcrux." Harry rolled the word around in his mouth. The word itself felt wrong, somehow.

"_A horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die." _Bob said before going quiet, letting Harry deal with this new information.

"Cannot die… Cannot die…" Harry's eyes widened. "So that's what he meant when we fought in his dad's graveyard!" Harry said, recalling Voldemort having spoken about "taking steps to ensure his immortality". The memory of that was rather fuzzy what with the Cruciatus and Imperius being used on him, but he could at least remember that.

Harry looked at the images in front of him with a new respect and a healthy amount of wariness.

"So these are… Horcruxes?" Harry asked.

"_Yes. Though you destroyed that diary in your second year, and we just got done killing the one in you!_" Bob explained to the boy, who looked at the diary and his baby self. Harry nodded.

"And there are five left to find?" Harry questioned.

"_Apparently. Who knows, maybe someone else found them for us?_" Bob suggested. Harry gave it a queer look. "_Yeah, yeah. You're right. That's asking for a miracle. Looks like it's up to us for when we get back… IF we get back, I mean._"

Harry frowned. He hadn't really thought about going home for a while. He was enjoying his time with his new friends, Dante, Yangus and Jessica. Sure, he had some close calls, and almost died at one point. But Harry liked to think that he made some real friends here; friends who knew nothing about his 'Boy-Who-Lived' title, who didn't look at him in mix of wonder and pity. Perhaps they were even better friends than Ron and Hermione. Well, maybe Ron. Harry's past experiences with the red headed boy have shown him that Ron had some major issues to deal with. Hermione had always looked out for him, to the point of driving him up a wall with her pushy behavior. Still, it showed that she cared.

"_You know…"_ Bob interrupted. "_We don't HAVE to go back."_

"We don't?" Harry asked himself, having never considered that possibility.

"_No, we don't. Why should you want to go back and save the Wizarding World? They treat us like a hero one second, and the next we become a pariah! The Ministry is corrupt beyond any possible repair. The Order can barely fight Voldemort's Death Eaters. Why should we go back?_"

"We're going back." Harry suddenly said, a grim look on his face.

"_Why!? Why would you want to go back to that place?_" Bob sounded hysterical. "_I was fighting Voldemort's soul piece at the time, but I remember it just as you do. When you talked to that snake in your second year, they called us the 'heir of Slytherin'! They talked about us as if we were evil! They turned us into an outcast! I felt your pain, Harry. It hurt, right? It was torture, right? You can't trust them!" Bob gave Harry a fierce look, his form shimmering and pulsing to show his agitation._

"Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right." Harry quoted solemnly.

"_Dumbledore's words…"_

"Yes. I know that I've had my differences with the man, but he was genuinely looking out for me. And besides, I'm not leaving Remus, Hermione, and the Weasleys to the mercy of Death Eaters! Not to mention Neville, Luna, and the others!" Harry answered vehemently. Bob said nothing for a while, looking at the fire in Harry's eyes. Then he nodded.

"_That's everything I managed to get out from Voldemort's spirit fragment that I absorbed._" Bob said, changing the subject. Harry nodded in relief.

"So what now, Bob?" Harry felt weird calling what was essentially himself, Bob. But he's the one who suggested a name change for the part of his soul fighting Riddle.

The humanoid shaped energy known as Bob smirked at him.

"_Now you wake up. Talk to you in the real world!_"

"Wait, what?" Was all Harry managed to say before the abyss around them shattered into a million pieces, Bob disappearing along with it.

**Oooooooooo**

_In the cellar at the Maella Abbey…_

The first thing that Harry felt was his body's soreness. It was as if he'd been through Hell and back. His wrists and ankles were chafed by the restraints, and all of his muscles ached. How long had he been this way.

He opened his eyes to see the dark ceiling above him.

"Finally awake, Harry?" A voice rang through the silence.

Harry turned his head to see the Thomas the priest standing outside of the circle, holding a cross protectively in front of him. The two other priests were sprawled on the floor, out cold. Behind the priest, stood his three friends, who all had worried expressions on their faces.

"Wh-what happened? Did I do this?" Harry asked as he looked at the two unconscious priests, feeling a stab of guilt at what he'd done.

"When I put you in the induced sleep, whatever was in your body tried to possess you. Your body began to convulse and fight against your restraints." Thomas began. "You then became enshrouded in very dark energy, and it fought against the barrier. My brothers attempted to fight it off, but were only able to last so long against a spirit that evil."

"I don't understand…" Harry trailed off.

"I shall elaborate: when the human body receives too much pain, it shuts itself down. That is what happened with my brothers. They could not fight back against the dark energy, and they fell unconscious after it hurt them enough. The barrier was completely shattered, so I intervened and held you in place until the exorcism was over." The priest explained calmly. Harry noticed the sweat pooling on Thomas' face, who didn't make any motion to wipe it off yet.

"Will they be alright?" Harry quickly asked. Thomas chuckled, relaxing a bit.

"I'm sure with a good night's sleep they'll be just fine." Thomas assured the Boy Who Lived. "Speaking of, it is already night time."

"It's been that long? It felt like an hour at best for me." Harry said, remembering beyond surrounded by the abyss and not being able to see or hear anything. He shuddered.

"I wouldn't be surprised. Inside your own soul, I would think the concept of time would be skewed, would it not?" Thomas the priest explained, and finally wiped his face clean. Harry just nodded and looked past him, towards his friends.

"You guys all right? You look a little pale." Harry joked, trying to lighten to mood. All three rushed at him with surprising speed, startling Harry.

"You're all right!" Jessica exclaimed. Were those tears in her eyes? She immediately went to remove his restraints, showing his chafed wrists and ankles.

"Those look like they hurt, mate." Yangus quipped, and Dante nodded.

"Yeah, they're really annoying." Harry agreed. His sore muscles were even worse.

"I've got just the thing. _Heal_." Power raced out of Dante's outstretched hand and enveloped Harry's body. Almost immediately, the damaged wrists and ankles healed themselves, leaving nothing behind. Harry felt the soreness in his muscles reduce itself considerably.

"Thanks, Dante." Harry sat up, looking at his companions. "Thank you all for staying with me… You didn't have to-"

"We wanted to." Jessica interrupted, heat in her voice, and fire in her eyes. Harry smiled at her gratefully, and her look softened.

"Well?" Dante said excitedly. Harry looked at him confusedly.

"Well what?" Harry asked.

"Come on! You just had an intense fight inside your own spirit! I want _details!_ Juicy details!" Dante blurted out and looked to the others for support.

"I am somewhat curious as to the nature of the battle as well." Jessica quipped with a smile.

"I do like me a good ol' fashioned story, 'Arry!" Yangus concurred.

And with that, Harry told them. He told them of the Great Hall in Hogwarts. He told them of fighting Tom Riddle, another wizard who had possessed one of his friends at one point. He told them of how he thought he defeated Riddle. He told them of the all-encompassing abyss that surrounded him from all sides immediately afterwards. He told them of how he could not see nor hear anything. He told them of how Riddle blindsided him, almost killing him, and he ended the tale with him finishing off Riddle with a stream of fire.

"That spell is called _Sizzle_," Dante explained. "Took a lot out of you, didn't it?" Harry just nodded.

'_You won't tell them about me?_' A familiar voice said from within his head, and Harry managed to keep a straight face.

'Wait until we're alone next time… And no, I won't tell them. They'll think I'm a nutcase if I did, anyway.' Harry answered the voice known only as Bob.

"_Sizzle_, huh?" Harry said. "I'll keep it in mind."

"I'd hate to interrupt this moment." Thomas' voice interjected. "But it is rather late…"

"I understand, sir." Harry said. "I won't waste any more of your time. Thank you." And with that, Harry gave a long bow to the surprised priest.

"No thanks needed, my boy. I only wish we'd have taken care of it sooner." And he meant it. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go fetch a few of my brethren to collect these two fine priests. You can find a night's rest at the nearby town called Simpleton. You only need to follow the path." He bade his goodbyes, and left the cellar, leaving the four friends and two unconscious priests.

"Guess we ought to be going as well." Dante said after a moment of silence. Three smiles met his statement.

**Oooooooooo**

_Outside of the Abbey (About twenty minutes later)…_

"My word!" King Trode exclaimed after Dante explained what happened at the Abbey. He looked at Harry.

"Such bravery! Such power! You, my boy, are the shining example of what the youth of today's age should strive to be!" Harry was a bit unnerved by the vehemence of the old timer.

"It was nothing." He said automatically, a blush rising to his cheeks.

"Nonsense! Humility is sometimes an endearing trait, but you can not simply dismiss this event as inconsequential! You've been fighting an evil spirit inside of you your entire life and you've finally defeated it!" King Trode praised the boy. Harry looked even more uncomfortable. Medea gently nudged her father, trying to get him to see Harry's discomfort.

Thankfully, he did, and expertly steered the subject. Trode turned towards Dante.

"Still no clues as to Dhoulmagus's whereabouts? …Hmph!" He scoffed. "If only I didn't look like this, I wouldn't have to rely on you. No doubt I'd get some answers if people knew I was King!"

Trode sighed. "It can't be helped, I suppose. Perhaps we may yet find something in Simpleton."

"It's very possible." Jessica agreed.

"And ye'd be right. Most o' the folk that go prayin' at Maella Abbey stay over at Simpleton. There used to be a bit more goin' on round 'ere in the old days, but that's about the only place left now." Yangus grinned. "So if we go to Simpleton, we'll prob'ly be able to find out more about the abbey. Genius, eh guv!?"

Dante nodded with a grin of his own.

"Not to mention a place to sleep." Harry said.

"Then let us be off! Onwards to Simpleton!" King Trode declared, and Medea gave a loud whinny, leading the way with the rest following them.

They walked along the dirt path leading to Simpleton for a few minutes. Harry swore he could hear the sounds of bubbles. He dismissed it as his imagination.

'_I heard the sounds too._' Bob spoke to him.

'It's not just me?' Harry asked.

'_Well technically I AM you, so you should just ask the midget King._' Bob helpfully supplied to the Boy Who Lived. Harry made his way next to the King of Trodain.

"King Trode?" Harry called out to the green troll-king.

"Yes, my boy?"

"Ah, I noticed something odd earlier. A bubbling noise." Harry explained, hoping he didn't sound dumb. Trode looked pleased.

"Noticed that, did you? That, my boy, is the sound that an Alchemy Pot makes when it has finished processing the items put inside it. In the time you all were gone, I was mixing some medicinal herbs together to make a stronger herb. I shall see to it after we reach Simpleton and question the people." King Trode answered with a smile.

"Oh, all right," Harry nodded, relieved. "I was beginning to think I was hearing things and going crazy."

'_I take offense to that!_' Bob protested.

'Shut up.' Harry shot back amusedly, and the group lapsed into silence again.

A few more minutes passed, and the party reached a fork in the road. A sign stood before them.

"WelcoMe, pilGRims?  
You arE nOw entering  
SImpLeTOn!" The sign said.

"How very…," Dante said.

"Don't. Just don't." Harry said, groaning.

"Simple." Dante finished with a grin. The entire group groaned at the pun. Yangus whacked the young man over the head.

"Ow!" Dante rubbed his sore head.

"That'll teach yeh."

"Right." King Trode interrupted. "Since we're done with that little moment, might I suggest we enter the village and see what we can find?"

"Yes, let's." Jessica answered, and the party, including King Trode, went up the path leading to the village. The entrance to the village was in a small canyon between two very tall hills.

Harry could see three different buildings. The first, to the right, was an inn. The second, to the left of the inn, and standing a bit behind it as well, was the local church. But the most notable building in the area is the large tavern. Harry noted that it was easily twice as large as both the inn and the church combined. A waiter stood outside the tavern, probably on break. There was also a woman standing just outside the inn.

"So this is Simpleton?" Harry said to no one in particular.

"Hasn't changed all tha' much." Yangus said.

"Let's talk to the waiter over there." Dante suggested before greeting the man.

"Hello, sir."

"Ah, hello. May I be of service?" The waiter said, with a gracious smile. If he noticed who or what the green troll on a carriage was, he didn't say anything.

"Yes. Could you tell us what you know about this town? We're a band of travellers, wishing to see the sights and the like." Jessica asked the man.

"Ah, I understand!" The man seemed elated. "This place is called Simpleton. I'm sure you've already passed by the Maella Abbey?" He received nods. "The pilgrims pass by this little town all the time."

He sighed. "This used to be a really lively little town. But that all changed when the lord of the manor passed away. It was the plague that got him, you know. But it hasn't done The Cock and Bull any harm!" He gestured towards the bar behind him. "Night and day, all year round, you'll find me here serving the good people of Simpleton all the booze they can hold!"

"I see. Well, thank you for your information, sir. We may just give this Tavern a visit, after we get settled in." Dante gave the man a forced smile, and the group walked away.

"So what do you think?" Dante asked as they got far enough.

"I'll let yer in on a little secret about me…" Yangus began. "If I don't stop off at a waterin' 'ole after I've been climbin', me legs seize up." He guffawed, before continuing. "Nah! I'm only 'avin' a giraffe! Y'know, a laugh! I just fancied goin' to the pub is all."

Dante just shook his head amusedly.

"We still don't have any leads on Dhoulmagus… I know getting frustrated won't solve anything, but I just can't help it!" She glared at no one in particular, but then her eyes lit up.

"Hey! I have an idea! We should go to the pub! Maybe someone knows something! Let's try that before we call it a day!" She suggested with a wide smile.

"Hey! I came up wif tha' idea, Miss." Yangus interjected.

"No, Yangus." Harry snorted in amusement. "You just want to get smashed!" Yangus scratched the back of his head, a large grin on his face. "Got me there, 'Arry."

"Then it's settled." Dante looked at the three. "We go to the pub."

"Splendid idea! I haven't had a good beverage in a good long while." King Trode exclaimed, and they were off to the tavern. They climbed up to the front porch, passing by a few gentlemen. They stopped to listen to whatever they were saying before entering.

"Aaaah! And so ends another glass! Time for the next round!" One of them said before downing taking a swig from one of his bottles. Clearly he was well beyond drunk.

The other man, much older than the first, turned to them.

"Now listen to this story here," The man slurred. "The lord of the manor, who used to rule the roost around here, was a truly bad man… Yes. Bad through and through. His wife wouldn't give him a child, so he went off and had one with his maid, just so as he'd have an heir."

"That's horrible!" Jessica was appalled.

"Ah, but here's the kicker. Of course, the his wife DID have a child- Angelo, they called him – so the first-born was hung out to dry. The maid was fired too, of course. And the illegitimate son was packed off to Maella Abbey without so much as a word. It's a terrible tale if there ever was one." The man went back to drinking without giving them another glance.

They took the hint, and entered the tavern.

The sound of many people interacting with each other reached Harry's ears. He looked around to see the place packed with people. Many were sitting at the large bar in front of him, being served quickly and efficiently by the bar tender. A few waitresses in skimpy outfits were running all over the place, eager to serve their customers.

They were greeted by such a waitress.

"Hiya! Have a seat. Anywhere you like." She said with a sultry grin to Dante, before walking off to deliver a large mug of beer to some people at a table near them. Two men were on each end, playing a card game it seemed. The first man was flanked by two of his goons. He was built like a body builder, and his two lackeys looked very muscular as well. His opponent, did not look remotely affected by their blatant attempts at physical intimidation. He had grey hair, tied into a ponytail. He wore a red, leathery outfit, reminiscent of musketeers. A rapier was tied to his waist. In one hand he held a few cards, and in the other, a glass of wine.

"That's Angelo!" A voice next to them said. Harry turned to see a browned haired girl giving them a look. "I saw you looking his way. Perhaps you're his friends?" She didn't give the group any time to finish. "I hope he doesn't get himself into trouble. The man he's playing against looks like a real bruiser!"

Seeing no harm in approaching the grey haired young man, Harry confirmed that they were his friends, and they all made to stand behind him.

Harry made to get his attention.

"Hell-" He didn't even get to greet the man who held up a gloved hand to interrupt whatever he was about to say. Harry huffed indignantly, but said nothing.

"Not now! I've almost got this game in the bag!" The grey haired youth, Angelo, said, and smirked at his opponent, who started shaking with rage.

"What!?" His muscular opponent exclaimed. He stood up and smashed his fists against the table. Angelo didn't even so much as flinch.

"You little runt! You must be cheating!" The bulky man accused.

Yangus walked to the man and put a hand on his shoulder, attempting to console the guy.

"Take it easy! No need to get excited! I know it 'urts when ya lose an' all, but…" Yangus trailed off, and the man looked at Angelo, who began to drink from his wine glass.

"What!? …Oh, I get it!" The bulky man exclaimed before shoving Yangus off of him. Yangus crashed into one of the tables, and the table flipped over, and fell over him.

"You're with him!" The bulky man said.

With an annoyed grunt, Yangus threw the table off of him. He stomped angrily towards the other man, their eyes locking and shooting sparks of anger between each other.

"Oy! You wanna watch it! Don't go throwing accusions about! You don't wanna get on my wrong side!" Yangus growled out.

And then both men got splashed with water. Both Yangus and the bulky man turned to see a flustered looking Dante, and a shocked Harry staring at an angry Jessica holding an empty bucket in her hands. Behind them, Angelo sat in his chair, calmly sipping the wine. He looked amused.

"Take it easy, you guys!" Jessica scolded. "What are you, a couple of cavemen?"

The bulky man's lackeys advanced on her.

"What are you doing!?" one said. Angelo stood up, just as the other man began to speak.

"Think you'll get away with that just cos you're a lady!?" The other threatened.

"_Think you'll get away with that just cause you're a smear on the wall?_" Harry mocked, and they all looked at him. The one who threatened Jessica looked at the wall.

"There ain't no smears on the wa-" And with that, Harry rushed him, and smashed his face into the wall, knocking him unconscious.

"There is now." Harry declared, self-satisfaction flooding his body.

Dante, Jessica and Angelo were about to engage the other lackey, but they all dropped to the floor, dodging the large round table that was thrown by Yangus. The lackey, however, took the table head on, and got carried away by it.

"Wot's wiv you, eh! Threatenin a bird! Behave!" Yangus growled out, holding a chair with a man on it above his head, ready to throw it at whoever dares to fight back. He heard cheers and turned to see an old man cheering him on. Yangus gave him a thumbs up and grinned.

"That's it, you oaf! That's my mate!" The bulky man got ready to fight.

As the mayhem began, Dante just stood by as dozens of bottles, glasses and other assorted items flew by him, smashing into anything and everything. Yangus was slugging it out with the bulky man, while Trode stood behind them, enjoying the good old slugfest. Harry just got done punching the other lackey's lights out, when he noticed Jessica was going to cast a spell. However, Angelo quickly interrupted her, and dragged her out of the Tavern. Dante followed.

Harry followed them as well. As he exited the tavern, the noise level was reduced to the sound of crickets and the night breeze. As soon as they got away from the tavern's noise, Angelo let go of Jessica's arm. She glared at him, and put her hands on her hips.

"So who are you? You don't look like Simpletons to me…" The grey haired youth spoke. He extended a hand to Dante. "Anyway, I owe you one. Thanks to you, I managed to pull that little caper off without being caught." Dante shook his hand.

"So you _were_ cheating?" Harry asked, with a grin. Angelo opened up his sleeves, and cards of all kinds slithered out, hitting the dirt floor underneath.

"He was _such_ an easy mark, I got a bit carried away.." Angelo trailed off.

They heard a crash and sharply turned to the building. The bar fight seemed to be gaining in intensity.

The grey haired youth put a hand on Dante's shoulder, who looked at him curiously.

"Still, can't hang around." Angelo said. "Don't want any more trouble!"

He gave Jessica a once over.

She glared back.

"…What!?" Jessica finally said.

"I hope you weren't hurt by my little jape? Are you all right?" He asked softly, sounding concerned. Of course, having witnessed his earlier boasting and now knowing he was very good at faking it, she wasn't having any nonsense.

"You're out of luck! I'm fine! Apart from you leering at me!" She spat back venomously.

Angelo seemed unfazed by her answer, he bit on his right glove and pulled it off his hand, revealing a ring on one of the fingers.

"By way of thanks for helping me, and as a memento of our… 'encounter'…" He took off the ring, and placed it in her hand, leaning forward. She leaned back, disgusted.

"The name's Angelo. I live at Maella Abbey."

She tore her hand free from his, his ring clutched in her fist.

Angelo turned to leave. "Show them that ring if you'd like to see me. I'll be expecting you! Au revoir, for now! Maella Abbey, all right? Just ask for Angelo! Don't forget!" And with that, he walked away, leaving behind an angry Jessica and Harry (though for different reasons), and a wary looking Dante.

Thankfully, Dante was saved by Yangus showing up at that exact moment.

"Oh, 'ere you are, guv! I been lookin' all over for ya." Yangus called out and ran to them. He grinned as Jessica shoved the ring in Dante's hand. "Gave that lot what for! He he he!"

"Who the heck gives away rings, anyway?" Harry said aloud.

'_Is someone feeling jealous?_' Bob's voice interrupted his thoughts.

'I am NOT!' Harry shouted in his head, but stopped to think. Was he? He looked at Jessica again.

'_She's definitely not a bad choice there, Potter_. _Very nice curves… And look at that bust! And that gorgeous face!_' Bob praised.

'Just be quiet…' Harry groaned and blushed.

"Hey, Dante! I hope you don't plan on keeping this ring!" Jessica said angrily. "We're going to Maella Abbey as soon as possible to give it back to that smarmy cheat."

"Whether he likes it or not!" She added.

Harry's anger evaporated as she said that. Maybe he really was jealous of Angelo.

"That's a relief." Harry blurted out without thinking. His face heated up as he got everyone's attention.

Jessica looked at him oddly, while Dante and Yangus had huge grins on their faces.

"What do you mean, Harry?" She asked, giving him a critical look. Her mind came up with a possibility. Did he like her? She immediately squashed that idea. How could he like her? She almost _killed_ him.

"Er- I… That is to say…" Harry stammered under her stare. Yet he showed signs of shyness around her. It couldn't be anything other than infatuation.

"Yeah, Harry. What do you mean?" Dante repeated, his eyes alight with mischief.

Harry shook his head. He just couldn't get a break.

"Let's go to the inn." Jessica helpfully suggested, giving Harry a brilliant smile. He hesitantly smiled back. The group went to collect King Trode from the bar, and they all headed towards the inn for a good night's sleep.

Before entering the inn, Jessica stopped them.

"Dante, you, Yangus and Trode can go in before us. Make sure to get Harry and I some beds as well!" She asked and got nods in return. Harry saw then wink at him as they entered the inn, leaving Harry and Jessica behind. Alone.

They stared each other down. Harry looked away first, a mixture of shyness and nervousness overriding the logical part of his brain.

"So…," Jessica began.

"So….," Harry repeated, feeling more awkward by the second.

"Very nice weather out here tonight, isn't it?" She looked up.

Harry gave a sigh of relief and looked up at the sky as well. They stared at the billions of stars in the sky, admiring them.

"Can you imagine something as beautiful as this?" She said softly.

"I don't need to." Harry answered, feeling emboldened. It was probably Bob giving him some juice.

Jessica turned her head and met his stare. She gave a pretty blush in response. Her behavior was very different from when she was talking to Angelo. She seemed so… receptive.

"Thank you," She gave him a beautiful smile, and took his hand. They lay on their backs and stared at the stars for a few more hours still, before going into the inn to get some sleep.

Harry had dreams of a pig-tailed, red headed beauty that night. They held hands and stared at the stars.

**Oooooooooo**

**1:40 AM! Sleepy time. Goodnight!**


	10. Ring of a Templar

**A/N:** Apologies for being missing so long. I've been very very very busy with school and duties.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 09: Ring of a Templar  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

_A giant bird flying in the sky, casting a large shadow…A colorless, dead world…_

"You in there?" A voice interrupted Harry Potter's thoughts, who sat on his bed in the inn at the small town of Simpleton. Where exactly Simpleton was, Harry could not really say; for it was not on Earth, but some completely different world he had managed to get himself sucked into, thanks to his bloody Uncle Vernon.

"Yeah, I'm here." Harry tried a grin as he looked at Dante, who just nodded.

"Sorry. It's just that you've been sitting there just staring at the wall." Dante looked quite sheepish. "Had a great night?" He winked, referring to his evening spent with the lovely Jessica Albert, a powerful witch he had met in their excursions in the Tower of Alexandria.

"…" Harry glared, his thoughts of birds and shadows retreating to the back of his mind.

"Easy!" Dante made warding gestures, grinning stupidly at the young wizard.

"We set 'ere?" Yangus' voice rang in the inn.

"You're still not dressed yet?" Harry heard Jessica's irritated voice. "Come on, then! That self-important sleazeball, Angelo, is getting his cheap ring back whether he likes it or not!" She glared at Harry. "He said he lived at Maella Abbey, right?"

Harry nodded.

"Then come _on_!" She picked up the rest of his clothes and threw them in Harry's face. Harry managed a grin and did as was ordered.

As soon as he was done donning his clothing, he stepped outside the inn, where everyone was waiting.

"Ready to go!" Harry exclaimed.

"All right then." Dante answered.

"We should hurry up over to the abbey." Jessica stated, a bit angrily, "I don't want to keep the ring that creep gave me a minute longer than I have to!"

"He's not all bad, he isn't!" Yangus defended, a grin on his face. "That kid knew 'ow to 'andle 'imself awright! We can't leave 'im behind at the abbey. It'd be a bloomin' waste!"

"An' besides!" He said before Jessica could interject, "I need 'im to show me 'ow 'e pulled off that trick wiv the cards before! Diamond, it was!"

Harry snorted while Jessica just fumed. Figures Yangus would be interested in learning how to con folks better.

"All right, guys. Time to go back to the abbey!" Dante announced and led the group outside the town before they could bicker any further. They were met by a diminutive green troll looking creature on a carriage led by the most beautiful horse anyone ever laid eyes on.

"Hello," Dante greeted the two.

"Ah, there you are. Had a good rest? Medea and I slept wonderfully last night." King Trode returned the greeting.

"Yes, we all had plenty of good rest. Well, except Harry. He had _other things _on his mind." Dante quipped with a mischievous grin. Harry merely kicked him in the rear as punishment.

"Ow!"

"Serves you right!"

'_Good job, Harry!_' The voice inside Harry's head — no joke— congratulated him on a job well done.

'Thanks, Bob.' Harry answered.

"He he! He got you there, guv!" Yangus laughed.

"Ah, yes, while that is quite funny." Trode did not even look amused as he said this, "Were you able to find any information on that foul Dhoulmagus?" The group looked at each other.

"No, we couldn't find anything of use, though we did learn that the owner of the bar in Simpleton died a while ago." Dante reported to his King.

"Indeed?" Trode's eyes lit up with familiarity. "I knew a lord that lived in these parts a long time ago. Terrible womaniser, he was." Trode made a face, "I sent flowers when he died. He paid for his decadence with his health... Poor fellow."

"Wait a second. The story we heard last night, about the lord of the manor having a child with the maid, and then with his wife..." Harry exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention.

"Yes? What about it?" Jessica asked before her eyes widened in realization.

"The legitimate child's name was Angelo, wasn't it?" Harry asked for confirmation. Dante nodded.

"So tha' was him, eh? The son of a noble, actin' like a criminal. Now I've seen everythin'." Yangus said.

"In any case," Jessica interjected, "We have to go back to the abbey and give that sleazeball his ring back. We're certainly not keeping it!" Her tone brook no arguments.

"We can certainly look for more clues when we get back," Harry suggested to sweeten the deal for King Trode, who sighed. He, of course, saw through Harry's attempt at cheering him up, but maybe it was for the best that they head back to the Abbey to return the ring. It would gnaw at his conscience if he were to keep this ring, or worse, throw it out. After all, he was the King of Trodain! And if he couldn't be bothered to have morals and honor, then who could be?

"All right. We shall head back to the Maella Abbey!"

And with that, they were off!

**oooooooooo**

Harry opted to remain silent on the trip back to the Abbey, choosing to converse with Bob instead.

Bob was a peculiar being, to say the least. You see, when the Dark Lord Voldemort decided to attack young Harry when he was one, he had inadvertently made a Horcrux out of Harry himself. In response to this event, Harry's soul split itself to combat Riddle's own soul piece lodged in Harry's famous lightning bolt scar. To make matters worse, Harry's battle with another Horcrux that Voldemort had made— a diary— ended with that Horcrux merging with the one in his scar, thus making it stronger. It all seemed to go downhill from there, at least until Harry met the priest at Maella Abbey, who performed the exorcism, and allowed Harry to battle the Horcrux for dominance of his own body.

He won that fight, and got to meet the part of his soul that was always fighting.

It decided to name itself Bob.

'_Soon, you should start practicing your Apparating skill. I know we've sort of "learned" it from absorbing part of Riddle, but it can't hurt to try it out, right?'_ Bob's advice rang in his mind.

Harry nodded, almost imperceptibly.

'_You should probably tell the others what you are doing. No sense in hiding it, right?' _Bob suggested.

'True,' was Harry's answer.

'But,' Harry continued, 'We'll practice this after we visit the Abbey, all right? Just need to get this business with that Angelo fellow dealt with, and we'll be on our way!'

'_Still worked up over that guy? Come on! Jessica hates the idiot. Or did you think 'sleazeball' is a term of endearment? Idiotic sack of shit.' _Bob replied, holding nothing back.

Harry bit back a wince at the profanities. Who knew part of his soul was this crude?

'_What? Did you think that after finally ending the fight between me and Riddle, I was just going to look at you and say 'goo-goo!' like a one year old should?'_ Bob quipped.

'Yeah. Pretty much.' Harry agreed.

'_...'_ Bob was at a loss. Harry smirked.

"What's on your mind, Harry?" Dante's voice broke his musings. Harry turned to see Dante looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Harry took his time answering, finally seeing the Abbey in the distance.

"Hah! I just feel fired up for some reason."

And it was true; Harry was truly itching for some action. It was a feeling he was familiar with, but only when he was about to participate in a Quidditch match at school. He enjoyed the adrenaline rush he got every time he competed against others. Harry even remembered somewhat enjoying himself when he was dueling Malfoy in his second year— well, just before he revealed to everyone he could talk to snakes, that is.

"A fighter's spirit, I see!" King Trode commented with an approving nod.

"He he! I do enjoy a goo' brawl meself. Last night's one was one fo' the books, it was!" Yangus exclaimed with a small grin.

"I like fighting, as well. Well, I guess if I had to really explain it, I would say that I enjoyed friendly spars or fair fights that don't end in tragedy." Dante said, and Jessica nodded in agreement.

Harry quickly agreed with that sentiment.

The rest of the trip was spent in a comfortable silence. The party of misfits walked along the dirt trail that led to the Maella Abbey, staring at their general surroundings, as if awed by the subtle beauty of nature.

"All right. I shall be waiting, as always, outside!" King Trode said to the group once they reached the entrance. The rest of the group nodded, already used to this process.

"We won't be long, I hope." Dante tried to assure the green man, who smiled in response.

They walked on the bridge which led to the entrance, Jessica outpacing all of them.

"Heh, she must be really sick of this place to want to do it as quickly as possible." Dante said.

"I wouldn't blame 'er. All these monks under one roof! Must cause 'avoc, eh!?" Yangus answered.

"Hey! Slow down a bit!" Harry called out to her as he caught up. She looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Sorry! A little quirk of mine: I can never relax until the nasty work's out of the way." She apologized.

"It's all right. He got on my nerves as well." Harry replied and they kept walking to the large door of the Abbey, where a familiar man greeted them.

"It is nice seeing you again, travelers!" Thomas the priest greeted the group.

"Likewise." Harry smiled.

"You look like you're in a bit of a hurry! Is something the matter?" Thomas asked.

"Heh, noticed that, did you? Well, it's like this..." Dante began to explain the events of the night before. The man's eyes widened in recognition.

"Ah, the Templar Angelo. He's... a bit of a peculiar case. He was sent to the Abbey when his father died. He grew up under the harsh tutelage of Captain Marcello, who seems to hate the young man with a passion. Time has not been good for the boy." Thomas said to the group.

"I see." Harry answered. He understood that treatment well. Between the Dursleys and Snape, he had all he could get from that kind of treatment.

"Well, anyway, we have to return the ring to him. It's not ours, and I'm not sure if he'll get in trouble for losing it.." Dante trailed off.

Thomas opened the large doors. "All right! Don't let me hold you back."

"Thank you, Thomas!" Harry thanked the man as they entered the building.

"Think nothing of it, my boy. I am only glad to help." He said to their retreating forms.

They walked around the entrance chamber and scattered, weaving past the crowds of pilgrims and priests, looking for signs of Angelo or any Templars for that matter.

"Not a sign of 'im, there isn't." Yangus reported.

"I don't think we'll find Angelo around here. He must be in that guarded building we couldn't get in before." Jessica reasoned. Harry wished he had an Invisibility Cloak.

"Makes sense." Dante nodded, and they made their way to the back. They spotted a few monks walking around and chatting, and the same two guards they saw the last time they came here. Harry wondered if they'd let them in, or simply take the ring back.

"You again! What do you want?" The bald one looked irritated at their presence. The other held his sword at the ready.

Dante showed the two the ring he'd received. "A man called Angelo gave me this. I wish to return it."

The quick and simple explanation was enough to calm the guards.

"You've come to return Angelo's ring?" The bald one asked. The other guard scoffed.

"Hmph! Put it up as credit at the pub again, did he? That boy's a disgrace!" The man grumbled, and looked at Dante. "Very well, then! Angelo's inside. Get a move on!"

The two guards moved aside, allowing them entry.

Once inside, Harry deflated. The tension was killing him.

"We're finally in here." Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"I hate to say it, but that ring he gave us ended up coming in handy." Jessica said, "Before we give it back, though, let's go to the monks' quarters and hear what they have to say about Dhoulmagus." She suggested.

"I... That's actually a pretty good idea." Dante answered before they all started to look around.

They saw a Templar guard passing by. He took note of their presence.

"Why are you here?" He asked threateningly.

"We were allowed entry to find Angelo and give him back his ring." Harry answered quickly.

The man adopted a look of disgust. "That miserable excuse for a Templar. Always at the pub. His grog-soaked breath heaps shame onto our abbey! I suppose you've also come to collect on the debts he owes?" The man gave a nasty smirk and said, "He's in his room, just at the top of the stairs."

Harry watched him walk away.

"Looks like 'e's the black sheep of the abbey." Yangus commented.

The group made their way around the floor, hopeful to find anything on Dhoulmagus. They passed by what looked to be a classroom. A few children sat, listening to every word the monk said.

"Abbot Francisco is a man of the utmost virtue. He embraces all those who have lost their family or are in need of shelter, and gives them the chance to live here as members of the abbey." He told the children, who nodded, most likely already knowing this knowledge.

"Wonder if 'e'll take a few confessions from me. What do you think, guv?" Yangus asked curiously.

Dante just smiled.

They looked around some more, only to find stairs leading down.

"Wonder what's down there." Harry said aloud.

"Probably a dungeon or something." Dante suggested.

They made their way upstairs, walking on an elegantly designed, yet simplistic dark green carpet. It led to a door protected by two guards. Dante walked up to them.

"Hello. Is this Angelo's quarters?" Dante asked politely.

The man snorted. "No, this is Captain Marcello's chamber!"

"He has his own chamber?" Jessica inquired. The other guard gave her a look.

"The Captain manages all of the Holy Father's affairs now that he is too frail to take care of matters himself. But he's not here. Just a short while ago he went downstairs. Looking very displeased, I might warn you." He looked a bit ill at the prospect, before his face lit up in giddiness. "He should be in the torture chamber now, giving Angelo the dressing down he deserves. Ha! I wish I could see it for myself.." He trailed off, no longer paying attention to them.

"Torture chamber... Deserves...!?" Harry muttered dangerously, trying to rein in his temper at the callous words spoken by the Templar before him. He felt his arm being grabbed suddenly. He turned to see a serious looking Dante.

'No.' Dante mouthed at him. Harry shook with suppressed rage, and took a breath to calm himself.

"Thank you for the information, then." They gave themselves a bit of distance.

"We're going down there." Harry declared.

"We can't just.." Dante started.

"_We're going down there._" Harry insisted, with an angry glint in his eye.

"He's right, Dante." Jessica said. "This is beyond barbaric, what is happening. Even if he is a slimy sleazeball, no one deserves that kind of treatment."

"C'mon, guv!" Yangus coaxed the boy, who sighed in resignation.

"All right."

The four made their way down to the ground floor, and spotted the stairs to the dungeons.

"Here goes nothing." Harry said before steeling himself and walking downstairs.

They stood on a dirt floor. The dark hallways were lit with feeble torches, giving the place an oppressive feel. Harry spotted a few empty cells to the left. In the third cell, there was a priest, cleaning up some shackles.

"Disturbing.. This is what Marcello keeps in the dungeons?" Dante said. Harry kept quiet.

The priest looked at them incredulously.

"These have not been used in years! In all the time I've been here, I've only seen one man locked up in here, and that was because he had killed a monk." The priest quickly explained to the group.

"Still.." Dante trailed off.

"I'll let you in on a little secret." The monk said, "Though Captain Marcello is not the kind of man to take any nonsense from anyone, he'll never challenge the word of Abbot Francisco."

"The Abbot has been like a father to Marcello, you see. I don't know the full story, but apparently the wealthy family into which Marcello was born gave him up to the abbey for some reason." He explained further.

Harry had alarm bells ringing in his mind.

'_Marcello's the illegitimate child of that noble who died!'_ Bob mentally shouted in realization.

"I see," Harry murmured, as they resumed their course to find Angelo.

"What is it, Harry?" Dante asked.

"Nothing important. Could just be a hunch." Harry deflected.

They reached the end of the hallway. There was a nondescript looking door, with a guard stationed next to it. He took noted of their appearance and started speaking.

"This is the interrogation room. Beyond it is the torture chamber, used in days of old to convert heretics to the faith." The guard informed them, "You're free to enter the interrogation room, but Captain Marcello is using the back room at the moment, so it's off limits."

Jessica nodded and thanked the man, before everyone went inside the room.

There was a large rectangular table. Many log books and pens littered its surface.

'_Must be where they keep the information_.' Bob noted.

"There he is." Harry heard Jessica whisper. The group looked at where she was pointing. There was a cell in here. Harry saw a few instruments of torture strewn across the floor.

"That must be the torture chamber." Harry quietly said before they silently made their way forward to eavesdrop. Both Angelo and Marcello had their backs turned to them.

"...Well done!" Marcello said sarcastically, "You managed to cause another brawl at the Simpleton pub. I hope you're proud of yourself."

"News travels fast!" Angelo whistled. "What a fine intelligence network the Templars h-"

"How much more shame do you intend to bring to our abbey!?" Marcello's words cut through Angelo's mocking tone with prejudice. "You're like a curse! Yes, a filthy curse."

He clenched his fists. "If you hadn't been born, we'd all have been spared a lot of misery."

"..." Angelo all but growled. Marcello was unaffected.

"You're nothing but a petty crook with a pretty face. It sickens me to think we share any common blood." Marcello spat venomously.

'_I knew it!_' Bob whispered so as not to startle Harry, who was too immersed into the conversation.

"...Hmph! Enough!" Marcello said, and stood straighter.

"Templar Angelo! By order of the Captain, you are sentenced to a term of penitence." He said calmly, "I'm hereby stripping you of your right to leave the abbey. You do not leave this place this place. Not for anything! Understood?"

He continued before Angelo could answer. "Cross me on this, and I'll see to it that you're expelled from the Order! And don't think the Abbot will be able to protect you this time!"

"Let's stop eavesdropping and get out of here. We can give him the ring up in his room." Dante suggested.

"Agreed." Jessica said. Harry and Yangus nodded.

"I thought it would be all peaceful at an abbey, like, wot wiv 'em all bein' monks. Looks it ain't quite that simple, though, eh?" Yangus said quietly as they walked the hallways. "Anyway, the big boss 'ere will know somefin' about Dhoulmagus. Let's go an' see wot this Abbot Francisco fella 'as to say for 'imself!" Yangus suggested.

"Something the matter, Jessica?" Harry asked. She looked a bit sad.

"Oh, no, no. It's nothing." She replied, "I was planning on giving that silly man his ring back along with a piece of mind.. But I suppose I'll let him off just this once."

"Besides." She said, "That's not important compared to finding a lead on Dhoulmagus. Why don't we ask the people at the abbey if they have any ideas?"

Dante quickly agreed with them.

Reaching the ground floor, they saw one of the guards looking somewhat dazed. He snapped out of it when Dante put his hand on his shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes." The Templar seemed confused, "There was a jester here just a moment ago. He was on his way to the Abbot's chamber."

That sent chills to everyone.

"He had a rather odd-looking cane with him. No doubt he uses it in his performances. He probably balances on it or something." The Templar laughed, not noticing Jessica's stiffening at the mention of the weapon that killed her brother Alistair. Harry grabbed her hand comfortingly.

Dante spotted a tired looking priest entering through the backdoor. The group went to see to his needs as well.

"Ever since I made contact with that jester, I just haven't been feeling right. Still, that's by the by. Now then, what was I here for again? Hm... Pity, I can't seem to remember." He said before walking away.

They made their way out the back door. The Abbot's house was quite an interesting sight. It stood on a small isle, connected to the building by a bridge, with two guards stationed for protection. The house itself was simplistic, yet beautiful at the same time. Its major feature was its ceiling window, which resembled windows in churches Harry used to go to as a child. It was a sight to behold.

The four made their way to the guards, who stopped them before they could speak.

"Abbot Francisco is a very kind and gentle soul. He would agree to see anyone who requested an audience with him. That's why we're here." One of the guards said and pointed to himself and the other guard. "To protect him from the riff-raff he's too polite to turn away! Now clear off!" He sneered.

"That's quite rude, you know!" Jessica scolded the man, and looked to the other guard. "We are looking for a jester who passed by here earlier. We are some of his colleagues from Alexandria." She lied and looked at Yangus, who immediately did a handstand and started walking around on his hands.

"Doesn't miss a beat, does he?" Dante whispered to Harry, who snorted.

"Be that as it may." The guard looked somewhat amused at Yangus' antics, "Only those with the express permission of Captain Marcello can come through here!"

"Understood. Thank you for your time. And I hope you!" She pointed at the rude guard, who jumped at her angry stare, "Will learn some manners!"

They walked away.

"Guess we need to go back for the Captain's permission." Dante said on their way to the building.

"Why do we need his permission for anything? The arrogant jerk." Jessica sniffed haughtily. "He's probably still down in the dungeon. Let's go and get his okay to meet the Abbot."

They entered the monks' and Templars' "house", and saw Angelo standing around in the middle of the Hallway, his back turned to them. It seemed as if he was at a loss. He turned at the sound of their entrance.

"You..." His eyes lit up in recognition, "You're the people I met at the pub right? What are you doing here?" Angelo asked curiously, his hand on his hip.

Jessica stepped forward.

"What do you mean, what are we doing here!? You told us to come!" She took the ring from Dante, who looked at her warily, and showed it to Angelo.

"Now you can take back this stupid ring and we'll be on our way!" She said, a little bit irritated.

"My ring...?" He had a calculating look briefly, and then smirked.

"Of course! I can still play that card!" He looked at the group, "Listen! I've got a favor to ask."

"A favor!? You're kidding right?" Jessica answered, "What makes you think we'd want to help you?"

"Just listen, all right? There's no time to argue." His tone was a bit more forceful as he looked around on edge, "...Can't you feel it? Can't you feel the sinister presence in the abbey? I heard that a jester got into the Abbot's residence." He was looking around, missing the look of anger and hurt that appeared on Jessica's face.

"I'm convinced he's the source of the sinister air." He continued.

"A jester!?" She said.

"I don't know what he's planning to do, but I'm sure Abbot Francisco's life is in danger!" He said quickly, "You've got to help! I need you to get into the Abbot's residence and make sure that he's all right." He pleaded.

"We were already planning on that." Dante told the man, who sighed in relief.

"...Thank you. I'm in your debt. Now, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you." Angelo held out a finger to get their attention, "You may have seen them already, but there are some obstinate idiots guarding the bridge to the Abbot's residence. You can't go that way."

Harry nodded, knowing as much.

"But if you're prepared to go the long way around, there is another way to get there." He lowered his voice so as not to be overheard. The group leaned forward in order to pay better attention.

"You have to leave the abbey as if you were going to Simpleton, but turn immediately left along the river..." Angelo started, "Just follow the river along, keeping the abbey in view. Keep going along the river and you'll come to a ruin. It's the old abbey that was used before this one." He explained.

"There's an underground passageway leading from there to the Abbot's residence. I'm afraid that's the only way, save for asking my tosspot of a brother.." He muttered the last part.

"The entrance of the ruin can be opened with the Templar's ring I gave you, so you just keep hold of it, all right?" Angelo said.

"Awright." Yangus said.

"Thank you. It's in your hands now! Please help the Abbot!"

"We will, don't worry." Harry assured the young man, and they left.

"That Angelo seemed a bit diff'rent to when we met 'im in Simpleton at The Cock 'n' Bull." Yangus commented, "He must've really cared about old Francisco, I s'pose."

"Yeah, anyone can see that." Dante replied.

Harry remembered his godfather for a brief moment, but squashed it immediately. Now was not the time.

Dhoulmagus was here. And they had to stop him, no matter what.


	11. Friends and Foes

**A/N:** New chapter again! To whoever is reading this story, I hope you enjoy it, because I certainly am! I will attempt to make more time to update, of course.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 10: Friends and Foes  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

_Just outside the Maella Abbey..._

"I don't believe it!" King Trode exclaimed, before continuing, "A jester resembling Dhoulmagus has broken into the abbey!?" He shook with rage.

"Yes." Dante confirmed to the king of Trodain with a solemn nod.

"That good-for-nothing villain! What does he think he's doing this time!?" Trode raged.

"It doesn't matter." Harry cut the man off before he could say anything. "All we need to do is stop him, and that Angelo bloke told us to use a secret passage which leads to the Abbot's house itself."

"Indeed?" Trode mused. "Then that is where you four shall head! I would most likely prove to be a burden to you, in my current state.."

Dante nodded.

"Jus' say the word, guv!" Yangus exclaimed.

"Whenever you're ready, _guv_." Jessica smirked.

Dante simply walked past both of them, while calling out. "Waiting on you, now!"

And so, the four were off.

It took a while of them walking along the river as the Templar Angelo had stated, but they eventually found a rather old looking dirt trail. It was almost concealed by patches of grass, but the party of misfits saw the telltale signs of a road not used for a very long time, indeed.

Dante had set a quick pace for the group, as there was no time to waste. The life of the Abbot hanged in the balance as every minute passed with Dhoulmagus in the abbey.

'You think we can get him?' Harry thought.

'_I think what you think, moron._' Bob, the voice in his head, jeered amusedly.

'...True enough.' Harry conceded, an angry blush coloring his cheeks.

'_You know, you could've Apparated to the Abbot's house._' Bob pointed out.

'I realize that.' Harry answered.

'_Well... Why didn't you?_' Bob asked.

'I... forgot?' Harry started. 'I mean it's not like I practiced it before. I don't want to get splinched because I was too stressed to concentrate on the Apparition. Maybe when this is all over and I get a moment of peace and quiet, I can practice it.'

'_Fair enough._ _I guess you're right about that. Maybe when this is over, you can also ask the lovely Jessica out for a date.'_ Bob suggested, and Harry saw, in his mind's eye, an image of himself waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

'Not the time, Bob!'

'_Nonsense, it's always time for a little love.. or a lot of love, if you know what I'm saying._' Bob answered. Harry just blushed and glanced at the lovely mage in question. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, with a fire he was familiar with. It was the look of a person who seeks vengeance.

"Look alive, you guys!" Dante's voice broke him out of his thoughts. Harry unsheathed his sword without any hesitation, and stood at the ready, gazing at what stood before them.

In front of them, stood a single figure clad in iron armor, carrying a long sword and a circular iron shield. Only... it seemed to be empty. Was it animated or something?

A piercing shriek erupted from its empty helmet as it waved its long sword menacingly at the group.

"We don't have time for this." Dante growled and rushed the animated armor, intent on destroying it. He swung his sword in a graceful arc, hoping to decapitate it. His hope were, however, for naught. The iron monstrosity blocked his strike with its sturdy shield, momentarily dazing him. It took full advantage of that event, and brought its sword in a downward slash, hoping to cleave one Dante's arms off.

Only Dante's quick reflexes allowed him to dodge that strike. Even then, he only barely dodged. And then he felt pain, as its shoe smashed into his face, sending him tumbling backwards a few feet. He managed to regain his footing, and immediately put some distance between himself and the monster. He winced, and allowed himself a moment to feel his face. His hand came in touch with a warm liquid. Blood.

"You all right?" Harry rushed next to him. Another moment, and Jessica and Yangus were here as well.

"I underestimated its sheer strength." Dante answered, and Harry nodded. The thing looked powerful enough. And if it could stop Dante? He had no chance.

"Then let us battle it as a group." Jessica suggested.

"Yangus." She called to the man, who looked at her. "You, Harry and Dante fight it head on. Keep it occupied. Also, try to protect each other from getting harmed too seriously."

"Awright. Sounds like a plan!" Yangus hefted his scythe, in preparation for the fight.

"What will you be doing?" Harry asked, also preparing himself.

"I will attempt to lower its... physical resistance so you can easily dispose of it!" She answered.

"All right." Dante stepped forward, a wince on his face.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Harry asked, a touch of concern in his voice.

Dante scoffed. "I'll heal this after the fight."

"If you're sure..."

"I am."

Without any more words, the three sprang into action. Yangus reached the monster first, slamming the butt of his scythe into its shield with all the force he could muster. It did not budge an inch. That's not to say that Yangus didn't let up, however. He immediately followed up with a kick to its stomach, finally managing to send it backwards.

Before it could retaliate, Dante arrived behind it, and swung his sword in a diagonal slash, an attack which would effectively kill any lesser being. In this case, unfortunately, his sword collided with its armor, not leaving a single scratch. It was, however, pushed forward, right into Yangus' leg. The language challenged man gave it another vicious kick, sending it sprawling. It writhed for a moment, and stopped moving.

"You think we go' it, guv?" Yangus breathed.

"You guys are ridiculously fast." Harry exclaimed when he arrived.

"Shhh!" Dante shushed him and approached the animated armor.

A strange green glow emanated from behind them. The group turned to see Jessica, an aura of green surrounding her features.

"Fools! Behind you!" Jessica shouted out.

Harry turned just in time to see Dante fly by him.

'_Looks like that scrap of metal wasn't down for the count_.' Bob noted within the confines of Harry's mind.

Yangus was the next one in line, as he bull rushed the animated armor in the hopes of toppling it down once more. He slammed into it with astounding force, yet it merely shrugged the blow off and delivered a head butt to Yangus, who staggered back in a daze.

It advanced slowly, intending on finishing the man off with a deadly swing of its sword. It lifted the steel blade high into the air. Yangus stared at the blade in a trance. This was it. End of the line.

But before it could bring it down, a massive ball of fire exploded as it impacted with the animated armor's back, sending it flying into the side of a cliff. Yangus turned his eyes to the source of the ball, seeing Harry with his arms outstretched, hands cupped together in his direction.

"Got your..." Harry panted, "Back."

Yangus took the precious moments to shake himself out of his daze, and ran in Harry's direction, hopefully putting some distance between himself and the juggernaut of a monster they were fighting against.

"Thing took me by surprise." Dante's voice came from behind Harry. His clothes suffered a bit of damage, and he was rubbing at his right shoulder in an attempt to relieve the pain somehow.

A piercing shriek rang from the armored fiend as it got up once again. Its armor was a bit scorched, but the damage was quite minimal.

"Why won't you _stay down_!?" Harry yelled at it. Then something peculiar happened. A dark green glow suddenly cascaded over its form, as if it was being cleansed by falling water. The animated armor flailed around, its blade swinging wildly in an attempt to ward off whatever was affecting it.

"_Sap!_" Jessica incanted.

The glow persisted for a few moments, and then dissipated. The armored fiend stood, seemingly unchanged. It screeched menacingly at them.

"Did it work?" Dante asked her quickly, and received a nod in reply.

"Let's go then!" Yangus charged at the monster, his scythe at the ready. He swung it horizontally, with deadly precision, and promptly cleaved it in two. The two halves fell on the unforgiving earth, clattering loudly. The armor twitched for a few seconds, and stopped.

"W-wh.." Harry was at a loss. Dante was speechless.

"That's it!?" Harry finally managed to say.

"It seems a bit too easy." Dante agreed with his friend's sentiment, "But let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, eh?" And with that, the young man practically fell on his rear as he attempted to sit down on the ground.

"Did a number on ya, it did, guv!" Yangus exclaimed boisterously. Dante tried to smile, but it looked more like a wince.

"I'll help you." Harry pointed his arm at Dante and incanted, "_Hea-_"

"No." Dante held an arm out. "Don't waste your energy. Magic is not the only way to solve things, you know." He unshouldered his knapsack, and fished out a few vials filed with a green substance. Uncorking one, he smeared the substance on his many cuts and bruises. Harry watched as the wounds visibly reduced.

"Here." Dante threw the other vial to Yangus, who immediately got to work as well.

"Medicinal herbs. Grind them up, add a slight amount of water, and you get a sort of ointment that can heal wounds and bruises." Dante explained when he saw Harry's quizzical look.

'_Interesting stuff. We'll have to get some, ourselves. Sounds somewhat like potions, actually.'_ Bob thought.

'Agreed.' Harry answered, "Oh, I see. Thanks for the information. That should be of use later."

"Heh." Dante smirked, but then winced. "No problem, Harry. Just give a few minutes to recuperate, yeah?"

Harry nodded and lay on his back, to rest as well. No sense in wasting energy, as Dante said.

"Do you need some of the herbs, Harry?" Jessica called out. Harry turned his head to see Jessica applying the finishing touches of the ointment to Yangus' head. She finished, and looked his way.

"No thanks! I wasn't actually hurt."

"Oh. All right then!"

The companions lapsed into a comfortable silence. Harry didn't really get to think about anything, as he kept telling himself he needed to stay focused. They needed to save the Abbott, and now was not the time to goof off. They were simply resting for a few minutes, and then resuming their trip into the old ruins of the former Abbey.

Sure enough, not too long after, Dante propped himself up, and stood.

"All right. We've gotten enough rest. Let's keep moving." And with that, the journey continued.

Following the well-worn and very old dirt path, the group walked along the cliff side, avoiding the edge in case an accident happened, and one of them fell. Granted, they would not receive any damage since the fall was quite short, but it would take quite a while to get back to this spot.

'_Better careful than dead_.' Bob quipped. Harry ignored him. The path diverged to the right, heading inland.

"I think I see the entrance." Dante said and pointed forward. The road seemed to go through a small canyon between the hills. The group readied themselves, and followed the path inwards. They reached a small clearing within the hill. It seemed as if no one had been here in quite some time. The only things left standing were a small tombstone, and part of a wall.

"There's nothing here. Just a tombstone." Harry said, confusedly. Was the trip all for nothing?

"I don't think that's a tombstone, Harry." Jessica answered. And so, Harry walked closer to it, paying more attention to the marker. It seemed to be inscribed with some kind of crest..

"I've seen that crest before.." Harry started as all four members gazed at the ancient stone marker, "But where?"

Dante took Angelo's ring out of his pouch, and examined it, before showing it to Harry, who nodded in understanding.

"Ah, look there, 'Arry. There's a hole for the ring, as well." Yangus suggested, and Harry's eyes finally noticed an impression in the center of the crest.

"All right." Harry said with a smile, "Dante, would you do the honors?"

"Sure." And with that, Dante pushed Angelo's ring into the impression in the stone marker. and twisted it.

Suddenly, the grassy patch behind it erupted in blue flames, blinding the group. Harry rubbed the blindness out of his eyes, and opened them. In place of the grassy patch, some steps leading down were revealed.

"So that's it, then?" Jessica looked at the steps warily.

"Seems like it." Dante simply answered, and went down. The rest followed.

They reached what seemed to be an entrance room. A few holy statues were broken, missing appendages and whatnot. The air was dusty and stale.

"This place hasn't been used in ages. And it's so dark.." Harry commented, trying to see anything in the distance. No luck, however, since it all seemed to fade into blackness.

"Not to worry." Dante answered and unhooked something from his right leg. It was a torch, "We just need to light this up and we're good."

"Oh. I can do that." Jessica said, and took the torch from Dante. She held her other hand over the tip and concentrated. Suddenly, the end of the torch blazed with a bright and happy flame. She handed the torch to Dante.

"I'll take point. You just follow me in a straight line, and keep on the lookout. Harry and Jessica are in the middle. You two, will watch our sides, while Yangus will be at the back. Good enough?" Dante ordered the group, which nodded without hesitation. It was a solid plan.

The group made their way through the entrance chamber, and reached some more stairs leading down. With a sigh, they walked downstairs, into what seemed to be a very large cavernous room.

"This must be where they used to pray." Dante suggested before looking to his right.

"Huh?"

Harry looked in that direction as well. "What's a treasure chest doing here?"

Dante shrugged. "Dunno. Let's see what's inside."

They made their way to the red and golden chest.

"Hold this for me, Harry?" Dante asked and held the torch aloft. Harry took hold of it with a nod.

Dante turned to the chest, and unclasped its lock. Suddenly, the chest grew eyes, and opened up, revealing a large set of canines. It growled at the group.

"Cor blimey! Tha's a Cannibox, that is!" Yangus exclaimed.

The monster treasure chest immediately pounced on Dante, who kicked at it with all of his strength, sending it backwards. It collided with the wall, and stopped moving.

"That was close." Dante exclaimed, and dusted himself.

"Canniboxes are usually pretty feeble, mind you." Yangus said lamely.

"Maybe it's playing possum like that awful set of armor from before." Jessica said, feeling wary.

"Let's not take any chances, yeah?" Harry suggested and stretched his arm towards it.

"_Frizz_!" A bright ball of flame erupted from the palm of his hand, and shot to the downed Cannibox. It exploded against it. The monster didn't even move as the fire ate through the wood, turning it to ash.

"Well that's that." Harry nodded, and handed the torch back to Dante.

They made their way through the middle of the large worshipping room, and reached yet another set of stairs leading down.

'How far down do we have to go?' Harry wondered as he wiped at his face. The dirt in the air was also getting to be very annoying. The group walked silently down the stairs, hoping not to attract the attention of whatever lurked down here.

Dante led them through a hallway, and opened the door at the end. They had reached what looked to be the remains of a bedroom. Beds were turned upside down, closets were overturned, the entire floor was coated with a strange, purple liquid. There was a set of stairs leading up on the other side of the room. Great.

"What is that stuff?" Harry dared to ask.

"Poison. Don't walk on it unless you really have to." Dante instructed, and began his trip through the room by walking on overturned furniture, jumping from one to the other until he reached the end.

"All right. All the furniture seems pretty sturdy, though I would watch myself if I were you, Yangus." Dante smiled. Yangus grumbled something about annoying brats, but grinned as well.

A few minutes later, the group had crossed the room. There were a few complications here and there, as Harry had tripped over a chair and almost fell in the poisonous goop, and Yangus had broken a desk. All in all, however, they seemed to be fine. The group took a moment to catch their breaths, before making their way upstairs.

They were now in a lit hallway, which led to a single door.

'_The door's clean_.' Bob noted.

"Careful." Harry immediately cautioned. "That door is clean."

They all seemed to notice this little fact as well.

"Thanks 'Arry." Yangus said gratefully. And with that, they lapsed into a tense silence, as they made their way through the hallway, and to the door.

"Ready?" Dante whispered, receiving nods.

He opened the door.

They were greeted by a monstrous thing, indeed. It gazed at them with red eyes, and opened mouth, revealing rotted teeth. It was dressed in the garments of a priest. The clothes were of a royal purple color, but were torn and shredded in many places. Its skin was black and blue, and it held a staff in its right hand.

"Raaaaaaaaaaargh!" It yelled at them.

"So much pain! So much sorrow!" It wailed. "Why does my Goddess remain silent? How long must I languish in misery?"

It looked upwards into the dark ceiling. "We served you so faithfully... Yet we died in agony. That terrible plague consumed my beautiful abbey. Oh, the memory... The pain! So much pain!"

'_Undead priest. How quaint._' Bob quipped, but Harry did not laugh, as the priest looked upon them, its eyes blazing.

"And now... You shall taste for but a moment... the _agony_ I have endured for an eternity!" It laughed. "But fear not... For you shall be saved by the blissful peace of death!"

It gave almost no warning. Its arm glowed with malevolent power, and suddenly, Harry was assaulted with balls of pure energy. Harry shielded his face with his hands, and felt the stings on his palms. He staggered back.

The rest of the group wasted no time and unsheathed their weapons, circling the tortured soul of the priest that dwelled in the ruined abbey. Dante leaped at the monster, his sword lighting up with flames. He slashed at it. It parried the strike with its staff, and slammed the tip into Dante's shoulder, making him wince in pain. It was not fully healed, it seemed. The monstrosity hissed, as it blew the young warrior away with a wave of its hand.

A female shout drew its attention away from Dante, as the undead priest received a whip to the face, knocking out a few teeth, and gouging parts of its face out. It glared menacingly at Jessica, who held her whip in one hand, and a ball of fire in the other. She launched the fireball at the monster, hoping to catch it off guard.

"Pathetic." It sneered, and with a wave of its staff, cancelled the ball of fire. It looked at the woman. "Is that the best you can do, heathen!?"

But Jessica was smiling.

"Not anywhere close!" She said very loudly, her eyes catching movement from behind the monster.

It was Yangus, who attempted to cleave the monster in two, as he did with the animated armor they had faced before. He managed to cut through an arm, before his scythe was stopped by the priest's staff. It shrieked painfully. Yangus jumped back, and kept his distance.

"You..." It was enraged. "Dare!?"

It spun its staff over its head, cackling madly.

Harry had finally recovered, and watched the priest spin its deadly staff.

"_Sizzle!_" It incanted, and a massive stream of flames erupted in every direction. Dante, Jessica, and Yangus jumped behind some overturned statues and columns in order to avoid the flames. Harry, however, had no such way out.

'Oh, bugger!' Harry thought.

'_Flame cocoon! Flame cocoon!_' Bob yelled in his mind. Harry complied, imagining himself covered in a flame resistant cocoon. He unsheathed his sword, and ran into the fire. He ignored the shouts of his friends, and kept running. He cocoon was starting to waver, as he felt the heat of the priest's spell increase as he focused it in a cone shape at Harry himself.

Harry, painfully, reached the end, and lobbed the monster's head clean off its shoulders. Its spell immediately stopped, and the body slumped to the ground. Harry fell to his knees, very tired from keeping the cocoon up as long as he did. He saw his friends rush to his aid, and cracked a grin in relief.

"You..." Harry's head whipped towards the source of the sound, his relief gone. It was the monster's head. "You... I'll get y-" But it stopped there, as its eyes lost their red glow, and promptly turned blue instead.

"Uaaargh! Oh, my Goddess! My dear, sweet, Goddess!" Its head was looking up now, while its body held its arms upwards. Incredibly enough, a light shined upon the fallen form of the undead priest. It laughed in enjoyment, a far cry from its agonized cackles not a few minutes before.

"At last..." It breathed —'B_ut how is it even talking without lungs?'_ Bob thought— "I shall rest, cradled in your blessed arms!"

Harry watched incredulously, as the light faded away, and with it, went the priest.

'I guess this is proof that this Goddess exists.' Harry was awed by the event. He was further awed, when he heard a distinctly feminine chuckle as his body and that of his friends were bathed in the same glow, and their wounds were healed before their eyes. As the glow faded, the walls were moved around, and a path was shown.

"Wh-What the.." Harry said, at a loss of words, and shook his head. They had an Abbot to save!

"Let's go." Harry said, and the rest nodded, walking determinedly along the path. At the end, there was a ladder.

"This is it, I think." Dante said and looked up. There seemed to be a stone blocking the end. Dante climbed the ladder, and pushed the stone aside, revealing the starry night sky.

"How long have we been in that cave?" Harry asked, shocked that so much time had passed.

"I do not know." Jessica answered, just as confused.

"Let's not waste any time then, eh?" Yangus said, and they all climbed the ladder. Once outside, they realized where they were: right behind the Abbot's house.

"Yes! Angelo was right." Dante cheered at their success.

"There's a bad air 'round 'ere, guv." Yangus shivered. "Better watch our backs. I don't like 'ow this feels."

Dante nodded. The group made their way around the house to reach the front door. What they saw surprised them. The guards who were watching over the bridge were sprawled out on the floor.

Harry ran towards them. They were all asleep.

One of them was muttering in his sleep. "Please... Save the Abbot!"

"The Abbot's in trouble! Let's go!" And with that, they entered the building. They found even more guards on the floor, weakly struggling to get up.

"He... That jester... Seemed to be acting normally when he first arrived." One of them breathed as Dante helped him sit up. "But then... He suddenly went mad. He started laughing..." The Templar coughed violently, "hysterically and ran up... to the Holy Father's chamber." The man's face looked pained. "W-We tried to stop him. But... Even with three of us..." And the man finally passed out.

"The other two are out cold." Yangus reported.

The four friends looked at each other with determination.

"Then we face Dhoulmagus." Jessica said, and the other three nodded and ran upstairs to confront the jester.

It was quiet. Deathly quiet. The Abbot was sleeping peacefully in his bed, yet... Above him floated the menacing form of Dhoulmagus himself. The group started at that, and the insane jester finally noticed them, and glared at them, before disappearing. All remained quiet, save for the peaceful breathing of the Abbot.

'He didn't kill him. What's going on?' Harry thought furiously. Bob had no answer.

They slowly, and carefully, approached the Abbot, not exactly sure what to expect.

The Abbot sat up, slowly, and shook his head.

"...Hm, hmm...?" He rubbed at his eyes. "What sinister presence lingers in the air!" He turned to Dante.

"And who are you? Did you want to speak with me?" The old man asked kindly.

But, before anyone could answer, the party of misfits were surrounded by Templars, who rushed in the Abbot's room, swords drawn.

"There they are!" One shouted.

"It's them!" Another yelled.

"You'll be damned for trying to take Abbot Francisco's life!" One of the Templars snarled, stepping forward menacingly.

"What on earth...!?" Abbot Francisco looked positively confused. "What's going on?"

"Abbot Francisco." A familiar voice cut through the tension, and the Templars sheathed their swords, and straightened their backs at the sight of their Captain, Marcello. The man strutted forward, and knelt at the side of the Abbot.

"Captain Marcello, at your service as always!"

"Ah, Marcello! Tell me what's happening." The Abbot told the man before him.

"There has been a breach of security. Many of the guards have been seriously wounded." Marcello said, still kneeling.

"What!?" The Abbot said, shocked that this could happen.

Marcello looked up at the Abbot. "I feared you might be in danger, so I came immediately..." He waved at Harry, Dante, Jessica and Yangus. "And sure enough, we've caught these criminals. They've been loitering around the abbey since yesterday."

He continued, before they could object. "It seems we were just in time. I thank the Goddess that you're safe." He stood up, and made a motion for the Templars to arrest the group. They stepped forward, hands on their sword hilts.

"...Wait!" The Abbot called out, and all movement ceased. "These people are no criminals."

'_You tell em, Abbot!' _Bob thought triumphantly.

Marcello stepped forward, pleading with his hands. "Please, Holy Father! They were caught red-handed!"

"Look into their eyes." The Abbot instructed. "See their pure hearts. These people are guilty of nothing." Abbot Francisco kindly, and patiently, said.

Marcello turned to glare at Dante. "But...!" He sighed and turned to the Abbot once more, a calculating expression on his face.

"Very well. But we must find out what they were doing here in your residence so late at night." Marcello reasoned. "At the very least, let us ascertain that. Please."

"I don't mind explaining what's going on, so long as you treat us fairly." Harry said, somewhat irritated at the situation. He wasn't fazed at all from Marcello's death glare. He'd seen worse, of course.

"Ho ho ho! You really are a worrier, Marcello!" The Abbot laughed. "Very well, if you must!"

"Thank you, Holy Father." Marcello turned to the group with a nasty smirk on his face. "...So, shall we go?"

**oooooooooo**

_A few minutes later, in the interrogation room..._

Captain Marcello was seated at the table, looking at the group in front of him patiently. Two of his underlings stood behind him, ready for any event to occur.

Yangus slammed his hand on the table, an angry look on his face.

"Now look 'ere! We ain't done nuffin' wrong!" He yelled out at the Captain of the Templars.

"Yeah!" Jessica joined him, glaring at the man. "We told you, already! It was your man who asked us to check up on the Abbot! What right have you to keep us here!?"

Marcello crossed his arms.

"...The Abbot is too forgiving. If you're innocent, then who attacked my men?" He asked skeptically. "I, on the other hand, am not so forgiving. You won't fool me, so don't try. You'll confess in the-" But that's as far as he got, as he got interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Marcello called out.

"You sent for me, Captain?" A muffled voice came from the door.

"Come in!" Marcello ordered. The door opened, revealing none other than the Templar, Angelo.

He walked in the room, and stood at his Captain's side.

"I have a question to ask you. But there's something else first..." Marcello said as he looked at Angelo. "We've just arrested these intruders in the Abbot's residence. They were attempting to take his life."

He took a moment to let that sink in, and said, "They wounded six of my men."

Angelo smirked and gave a loud whistle. Marcello glared at the boy, who shrugged noncommittally.

"..Very well. The problem is this: my guard is watertight. I make sure of that." He said confidently. "There's no way for an outsider to get inside the abbey."

Angelo made an innocent face as Marcello kept talking. "Unless, of course, they have _inside_ help..."

Marcello fished inside one of his pockets for something, and held it out for everyone to see. It was Angelo's ring. "And would you believe it? When we searched their possessions we found this ring."

"Templar Angelo! Where is your ring? Show it to me now! _If you have it..._" Marcello ordered, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

But Angelo was not fazed by this, as he laughed uproariously and took the ring, his face looking relieved.

"Phew! It's turned up! Thank the Goddess!" Angelo seemed happy at the return of his ring.

"...What!?" Marcello was reaching the boiling point of his anger.

"Someone stole it from me at the pub. And it looks like they're about to learn that crime doesn't pay!" Angelo lied, an easy smile on his face that could fool the best.

"Stole it!? Wot!?" Yangus snarled. "You little fibber!"

Jessica kicked Yangus in the shin, and addressed Marcello as Yangus writhed in pain. Harry would laugh, if the situation wasn't so dire.

"We've no use for a ring like that! He set us up!" Jessica crossed her arms, glaring at Angelo. "I should have known better than to believe a single word from the mouth of a filthy cheat like you!"

"I have nothing further to say." Angelo replied confidently. "You can find me in my chambers." Angelo proceeded to leave.

"Wait! We're not done here!" Marcello called out, but Angelo pretended he didn't hear anything, and walked faster. Marcello huffed with irritation, and sat down once more.

"Fine! I'll deal with him later. First things first." He looked at the group. "...You've wasted enough of my time. Don't try my patience! I want answers!"

He took a moment. "What did you plan to do to the Abbot? Confess!"

Yangus flailed his arms around angrily. "How many times 'ave we gotta tell you, eh? We ain't got nuffin' ta confess!"

"Don't bother, Yangus. Idiots like this bloke only hear what they want to hear." Harry said to his friend, shrugging off the death glare Marcello gave him.

There was another knock on the door.

"What is it now!?" Marcello yelled.

"We found a suspicious monster loitering outside the abbey!" A guard reported.

"What?" Marcello asked. "What kind of monster?"

The door was opened to reveal King Trode roughly pushed into the room. Jessica gasped. The guard then carried him by the back of his robe, and held him up for all to see.

"Ouch! What the devil do you think you're doing!?" Trode protested, before he was set on the table.

He was about to protest further, when he noticed Dante, Yangus, Jessica and Harry at his side. They all attempted to look like they didn't recognize him.

"Yoo-hoo! Dante! Harry! Yangus! Jessica! What are you all doing in here?"

Harry suppressed a groan.

"You were gone for such a long time, I was getting rather worried!" Trode exclaimed happily. "So I'd just decided to come and look for you, when this-" But he was interrupted when Marcello began to manhandle him.

"...So this monster is a friend of yours, then1? So much for your pure hearts!" Marcello seemed giddy at the proof.

"Look who's talking. Judging people by their appearance? How very enlightened of you." Harry countered harshly, and he saw a brief moment of doubt flash in the man's eyes.

"What's wrong with you!? Unhand me at once, you insolent ruffian! Get him off me, Dante!" King Trode flailed around uselessly.

Marcello threw the diminutive green man at the group, and did not look them in the eye.

"You are in league with the monster! You may have deceived Abbot Francisco, but you don't fool me!" Marcello said harshly. "It was the monster who ordered you to steal the ring and infiltrate the abbey, was it? You cursed heathens!"

"Thought you could scare people by killing the Abbot, did you? Make them question their faith!? And then you move in and take control, I suppose." Marcello seemed to be 'unmasking' their plan, and the group were too speechless at his sheer paranoia to say anything.

"Take these monstrosities to the cells!"

With Trode there, no one dared to fight against the Templars, who led them all into a cell, before slamming it closed. A turn of a key, and they were locked in. Curiously enough, they did not take their weapons or personal belongings.

Almost immediately, Yangus grabbed the bars and began to scream bloody murder.

"Wot a bleedin' nerve! We ain't done nuffin'! LET US OUT OF 'ERE!" He kept shouting.

"I am no monster!" Trode grumbled.

"There's no point screaming. We've got to use our heads and get out of this cell!" Jessica said calmly. "Can't you think of anything, Dante? Harry?" Dante shook his head, while Harry looked thoughtful.

"I..." Harry said unsurely. "Maybe. I think I can try something."

"Really? What is it?" She shook her head. "Whatever it is, do your best!" She smiled.

'_What're you thinking Harry?_' Bob asked.

'Let's Apparate.' Harry thought back.

"Yangus, can you move aside for a second?" He pushed the man away from the bars gently, and began to stare at his destination.

'_Just think of where you want to be, and picture yourself there!_' Bob instructed.

'Here goes!' Harry thought before focusing on being outside the jail cell door. He suddenly felt like he was being squeezed through a rubber tube, and just like that, he was outside the cell door.

"Yes!" Harry called out, fist in the air... And promptly bent over to vomit.

"How'd you get out of your cell? And... That's disgusting!" A familiar voice called out.

Harry turned around uncomfortable, to see Angelo standing before him. The man fished a few tissues out of his pockets and handed them to Harry, who gratefully wiped his face clean with them.

"Good evening, everyone! Glad to see you're all looking so well... With the exception of this fellow, here." Angelo waved at Harry, who looked a bit annoyed.

"How did you leave that cell, anyway? It's not unlocked." Angelo asked curiously.

"Trade secret." Harry smirked.

"No matter." Angelo's eyes met Yangus', and the man rushed at the cell door angrily.

"Come 'ere, you!" Yangus snarled.

"Now, now!" Angelo showed them a set of keys, which made Yangus visibly calm down. "I must apologize for before. Perhaps you will accept this as conciliation?"

"What are you up to!?" Jessica crossed her arms, but Angelo ignored her question and opened the cell door. He pointed upstairs.

"The guard upstairs might hear if we talk now. I'll explain later. Come on!" Angelo said, and walked to the interrogation room.

"Follow me!" He ordered.

They reached a corner, and Angelo turned to them, stopping them with a glance.

"The guard's up ahead..." He cursed under his breath. "Right. No one make a sound, okay?" He motioned them to follow. Opening the door to the interrogation room, they were greeted by a sleeping guard.

They all turned to Angelo, who smirked. "I seasoned his supper with a generous pinch of sleeping powder." He examined the man. "Perfect! It worked. Sleeping like a baby!"

Dante and Yangus shared a grin, as Angelo led them further inside the interrogation room.

Angelo stood next to some obscure torture devices, and said, "...Right, we're safe in here. You can talk again now."

"I don't really think a torture room is safe." Harry quipped, amusement marring his tense features.

"Tell us what's going on!" Trode all but screamed. "What ordeal do you intend to put us through next, hm!?"

At that, Angelo looked apologetic. "Like I said, I'm sorry about before." He winced. "If I hadn't lied about the ring, Marcello would've been onto me like a shot!"

He held his hands up. "And I haven't got anywhere else to go if I'm chucked out of here. But I came to get you out, didn't I?"

Trode huffed and looked away.

"Come on! Don't be angry!" Angelo smiled. "Anyway, let me show you something you won't have seen before."

He grabbed King Trode by the back of his robe.

"Well, what is it?" Trode finally asked, used to being manhandled at this point.

He held the diminutive green man in front of an Iron Maiden device, a coffin with spikes inside. It opened up dramatically, showing off red tinged deadly spikes.

"There! And that's real blood on those spikes, you know." Trode's teeth were chattering so loudly it was almost comical. "If I were to throw you in there and shut the door, your whole body would be skewered."

"I could make you hole-ier than thou," Bob laughed uproariously in Harry's mind at that, "without so much as getting my hands dirty! Not bad, eh?"

Before anyone could protest, Angelo threw the man inside, and slammed the Iron Maiden's doors shut. The entire group looked utterly shocked and betrayed at the turn of events.

"...Eh?" King Trode's voice came from inside the Iron Maiden, shooting down any thought that ran in the minds of the four friends. Angelo stood with a smug smile on his face for having pranked the group successfully.

"Ooooh!" Trode exclaimed as he tapped the steel frame from the inside.

"Dante! Can you hear me out there?" King Trode said loudly. "There's a secret passage in here!"

Harry turned to Angelo, who smiled at the group. "...Like I said, not bad, eh?"

As the group went through the passage leading outside, Harry thought, 'Not bad at all...'

**oooooooooo**

**R&R!**


	12. Confrontations and Additions

**A/N:** Another update! Hope you enjoy, and be sure to R&R! Any criticism is welcome! Though, if you flame me, I'll respond to it publicly. Maybe a little mean too :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 11: Confrontations and Additions  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

_Secret tunnel passage leading outside of Maella Abbey..._

Shortly after they entered the secret path from the interrogation chamber, the group immediately began to question Angelo, who led the way.

"...Wot's your game, eh?" Yangus began, "First ya grass on us for somefin' we ain't done, and then ya come an' 'elp us!" The stocky man looked quite exasperated at Angelo's odd behavior.

"It's all very confusing." Harry agreed.

"Sorry if I've confused you." Angelo didn't sound very sorry. "The people here have a bit of a trust issue with me."

Dante snorted. That much was obvious.

"I couldn't stick up for you before." Angelo continued, heedless of the sound. "It would have backfired."

"I'll say. With that Marcello bloke, I reckon he would have locked you up with us!" Harry said. Angelo merely gave a nod.

"Exactly. The man who interrogated you, Marcello... He hates me." Angelo stated. "That's why I had to let him put you in the cells before I could help you."

The logic was sound.

"That's all well an' good. but ya still don't know us from Adam." Yangus said, before gesturing at King Trode. "Ain't you worried about us bein' friends wiv this old monster, eh? Yer just 'appy to let us go, are ya?" He asked suspiciously.

Angelo stopped and turned to look at them all.

"True." He admitted, as his lit torch crackled merrily. "I don't know anything about you. And I wasn't there when you were caught."

"But what I _do know_ is that you saved the Abbot's life." He said, with conviction. "Because just before you were brought to the interrogation room, the sinister feeling that's been lingering in the air went away."

"Sinister feeling?" Harry blurted out. "Was it sort of a suffocating feel in the air?"

Dante, Yangus and Trode looked at him weirdly.

"What are you on about? I felt no such thing." Dante said.

"Me neither, 'Arry."

"Actually." Jessica piped up. "I felt it too."

"Yes." Angelo spoke, "That was what I was referring to. Evil and darkness so great, it is as though it's smothering you."

"But anyway." He waved it off. "I must thank you for what you've done. I'm not so ruthless that I'd hang you out to dry. Especially not in Marcello's hands."

"And besides!" He leered at Jessica. "I couldn't stand by while there was a lady in trouble. Marcello's a rather talented..._ Inquisitor_, you know."

Jessica stepped closer to Harry unconsciously, something which wasn't noticed by either of them. The rest, however, did.

The group resumed walking for a few minutes longer, until they reached a ladder.

"This leads outside." Angelo stated.

"Looks like it's blocked by something." Dante said.

"That is just some hay. The passageway leads to an old stable by the Abbey." Angelo answered.

Harry nodded, remembering the stable in question.

And so, they climbed up the later, moved through the hay, and dusted themselves off. They noticed Medea was left in the stable.

"Medea!" Trode rushed to his cursed daughter. "My Medea! You're safe!"

She whinnied in response.

"Were you lonely without me?" Trode rubbed at Medea's legs in an attempt to soothe her. "There, there! It's all right! We'll leave this horrible place at once."

Trode turned to look at the others. "The Princess and I will go on ahead. Make sure you're not too far behind."

"All right." Dante nodded and watched the two leave, as the rest of the group waved their goodbyes as well.

Once they were out of earshot, Angelo turned to look at Dante.

"...Princess?" He started, and Dante tried not to groan in annoyance for having to tell the story _again_. But Angelo just shook his head. "Whatever. Come on, let's go. You'd have to work pretty hard to mess up your escape from here." He smiled, but the expression quickly soured. "Anyway, I'm sorry for all the trouble.

"So, this is farewell!" He shook Dante's hand, and gave a nod to the rest. "May the Goddess watch over you on your journey." And with that, he left the stable, heading back to the Abbey.

"What now?" Harry asked.

"Well..." Dante started unsurely.

"We'll be got by Marcello's 'enchmen again if we 'ang about." Yangus said. "But we've gotta corner Dhoulmagus an' sort 'im out." He wrung his hands in frustration. "Awargh! I can't take it! I can't think no more! It does me 'ead in!"

"I for one, am glad we're out of that situation. I've got this weird prickly feeling all over, and I didn't even touch those spikes." She shuddered briefly. "Let's get out of here. All I can think about is going after Dhoulmagus!"

With that said, the group exited the stable.

It was still night time. Angelo stood before them, staring off to the side. They all followed his gaze and blanched. The bridge which linked the Abbey to the Abbot's house was on fire.

"The bridge!" Angelo was shocked. "...Is the whole abbey on fire!? Surely that jester didn't come back again..."

His features turned into an expression Harry was very familiar with at this point. Dread.

"Oh, no!" He shouted. "I've got to save the Abbot!" And he just ran ahead of them.

"Come on! We have to go help!" Dante ordered, and they all gave chase.

They ran through cabbage fields, jumping over fences and the like. Yangus tripped over one of the fences, subsequently tripping Jessica as well. They both got up, and caught up with the rest.

"We have to hurry!" She said heatedly. "Dhoulmagus is probably with Abbot Francisco as we speak!"

They managed to reach the entrance to the Abbey in a very short time. They ran towards the large entrance doors, where a man was waiting for them.

'Thomas!' Harry thought. The priest opened the door without hesitation. He looked worried.

"Angelo is already inside, hurry!" He pleaded, and they ran past him, into the Abbey. They ignored the burning tapestry, and the many overturned chairs, desks and other furniture.

'_Seems Dhoulmagus left a path of destruction in his wake._' Bob noted as the group ran through the courtyard. Many Templars were strewn across the ground, some bleeding quite heavily.

"Shit!" Dante swore. "Let's keep going!"

They made their way through the monks' residential building, helping those that needed it as quickly as they could. Once they reached the bridge, they noticed something very odd.

"Is it just me, or is there a clear path straight down the middle of the fire?" Harry asked his friends, who mutely nodded. He shook his head. "There's no time!"

And they all ran through the open path. At the end, they saw Angelo standing in front of the Abbot's house.

"Damn!" He swore to himself. "Where's Marcello!?"

A chill went through the air. The heat of the flames died away, replaced by a cold and awful presence. Harry and Jessica stiffened, features visibly paling.

"That sinister presence again..." Angelo looked up, face lit up by the flames. "No, not sinister... It's worse than that... It's pure evil..." He stepped back. "As if all the demons of hell had gathered to feast upon..." His eyes widened in realization.

"ABBOT FRANCISCO!" He yelled out and tried to open the Abbot's house's door. It wouldn't budge.

"It's locked from the inside!" He realized and banged at the door. "Marcello! Are you in there!?"

No answer.

"Damn!" He swore. "What's going on!?" He kicked at the door in frustration.

"It's no good! it won't budge!" He spat out and turned quickly, noticing their presence.

"You lot...!" Hope sparked in his eyes. "Did you follow me here?"

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter! I need your help! Just one last time, all right!?" He pleaded and gestured at the door. "We're going to have to do this by brute force. There might be just enough of us!"

"The door's locked from the inside. We've got to break it down!" He explained. "Come on, everyone together!"

They quickly arranged themselves in the best formation to slam into the door. Yangus stood at the front, with Angelo, Harry, Jessica, and Dante supported Yangus' heavy push.

The door didn't stand a chance, as it was torn open by Yangus, who didn't stop afterwards. He tripped and fell on his face.

"You okay over there?" Dante called out.

"Yeah, guv! It's nuffin'!" Yangus replied.

"Yes!" Angelo cried out, and immediately rushed in to the side of a downed Templar. The man looked like he was losing consciousness.

"What happened!?" Angelo asked quickly. "Come on, stay with me! Tell me what happened!"

"Thank.. The Goddess... You've... Come..." The Templar coughed out blood, the sign for internal injuries. "You've... come... Please, help.. help the Abbo... uuuurgh..."

"Who on Earth did this!?" Angelo questioned.

"He's... Dangerous..." The man struggled to speak. "Captain Marcello... is in trou... ble..."

The man closed his eyes, and went limp in Angelo's arms. Harry stared at the Templar's fallen form, a mixture of anger and shame flooding through him.

Angelo set the man on the floor as gently as he could, before standing up. He shook with rage as he turned to Dante.

"Upstairs!" He barked out. "Come on. Let's go! You're with me, right!?"

"We're all with you." Jessica said thickly. Yangus, Dante and Harry nodded.

"...Thanks." And with that, they all headed for the stairs, where they saw another Templar tumbling down, twisting and turning like a ragdoll. His descent ended next to the group of misfits. The man tried to move, but found he couldn't. He reached out for the stairs.

"The... jest... errrr..." He growled out. "We must... save the Abbot..." He struggled some more, before passing out.

They rushed up the stairs. Marcello stood in front of the Abbot Francisco, his arm in front of the old man, while his sword was pointed in front of him. The group turned their gaze to find the evil jester, Dhoulmagus, floating in the air. A wicked smile was on the monster's face as he regarded Captain Marcello.

"Move aside...! I will not tell you again." Dhoulmagus' nasally voice rang. "You have seen what I have done to your men." He chuckled evilly. "Stand aside!"

"Never!" Marcello swore and glared at the jester defiantly.

"So be it!" With a wave of his staff, Dhoulmagus sent Marcello flying into the brick wall behind him. The impact was so strong, it actually almost tore through the wall.

Angelo rushed forward and knelt by his half brother. "Marcello!"

"...It was all... That _jester!_" Marcello spat out. "I... Couldn't... Stop him..."

"He's strong.." Marcello admitted, pain marring his aristocratic features, and he began coughing violently. He visibly struggled to get his coughing fit under control, as he looked up at Dhoulmagus, an eye scrunched closed.

"But you can't... let him..."

Angelo tried to help him up, but Marcello pushed his arm away.

"...This is an order! Templar Angelo! Get... The Abbot to safety!" Captain Marcello ordered.

"I think not!" Dhoulmagus disagreed, and waved his staff once more. This time, Angelo was viciously smashed into the wall, taking him out of the picture.

"Wha hah hah hah hah!" Dhoulmagus cackled. "Now nothing stands in my way!" He approached the Abbot.

"Urgh...!" Marcello tried to get to his feet. "You dare lay a finger on Abbot Francisco!"

"Don't worry, Marcello!" Abbot Francisco's kind voice rang out in the room. "I will be fine." He smiled at Marcello and Angelo, before turning to Dhoulmagus.

He closed his eyes, a peaceful expression on his face.

"I have given myself to the Goddess!" Abbot Francisco said. "If it is Her wish, I am prepared to die."

He glared at Dhoulmagus. "...But, wretched sinner, if that is not Her wish, nothing you can do will ever harm me!" He brandished his cross and held it in a warding manner.

"The Goddess will protect us all from whatever evil you can muster!"

The choking darkness emanating from Dhoulmagus seemed to lose its power, as a sort of soothing calmness exuded from Abbot Francisco. Dhoulmagus' eyes widened in shock, as he struggled against the Abbot's holy power.

"...Well, well!" Dhoulmagus jabbed. "What faith you have! Let's put it to the test, shall we!?"

The jester started advancing at the Abbot, slowly, but surely. It was only a matter of time before he got within striking distance.

"No!" Harry's voice rang out, as he rushed and stood between Dhoulmagus and the Abbot.

"Sorry, but you'll have to go through me, Dhoulmagus!" Harry spat at the evil man before him.

Dhoulmagus regarded the boy curiously.

"You must have a death wish, boy." Dhoulmagus snarled at Harry, who glared back defiantly. He quickly unsheathed his sword, and slashed at Dhoulmagus, who simply laughed in response, as he flew back to dodge the strikes. Harry wasn't discouraged, however, and rushed the evil jester once more.

"Pathetic." He parried Harry's sword thrust, and struck his hands, making him let go of his sword. It flew to the side, clattering loudly.

"Is that the best you can do, _boy_?" Dhoulmagus mocked. Harry growled in response, and clenched his fists.

He concentrated, and balls of flame appeared in his hands. "Not even close! Blaze barrage!" Harry threw fireball after fireball at Dhoulmagus, who simply whacked them with his staff, canceling them out. It continued like this for a while, before Harry stopped to take his breath.

"You are weak, boy. Stand aside, and you may yet survive." Dhoulmagus stated, a cruel smirk marring his face.

"Make me!" Harry answered, glaring.

"If I must..." And with that, Dhoulmagus disappeared. Before Harry could react, he saw Dhoulmagus' staff, an inch in front of his face. He staggered back, the sudden movement startling him. Dhoulmagus attempted to move forward, but found that he couldn't touch the boy.

"...What is this trickery!?" Dhoulmagus almost shouted out, looking at Harry in a new light. His face quickly switched back to the evil smirk from before.

"No matter! I shall dispose of you the same way I did with those other Templars!" Dhoulmagus spat, and with a wave of his staff, Harry was sent to join Angelo and Marcello. His back slammed against the wall, the reverberations coursing through his body. He slumped down to the ground, struggling to stay awake, but failing.

"That was... Quick." Dhoulmagus sneered, before approaching the Abbot Francisco, once again.

"Where were we?" He said with a cruel smile.

Dante, Yangus and Jessica were about to intervene, when, of all things, King Trode ran up the stairs to confront Dhoulmagus.

"Wait!" Trode called out. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!"

Everyone turned to look at Trode.

"It's been a while, Dhoulmagus!" King Trode said, anger lacing his voice.

At this, Dhoulmagus gave a nasty grin. "Ah! If it isn't King _Toad_! Looking as small and ugly as ever!" He laughed.

"Shut up!" King Trode spat back venomously. "Return my daughter and I to normal at once! Do you realize what you've done to my castle!?"

Dhoulmagus merely lifted his staff in the air, lighting up the entire room with the energy that began to course through it. The entire house shook with the staff's power, before Dhoulmagus held his staff like a lance, and threw it.

It was so quick, everyone missed it. One second, he looked as if he was about to throw the staff, the next, it impaled Abbot Francisco. There was no warning.

The old priest's face looked pained, as Dhoulmagus recalled his staff back to him with a wave of his hand.

"W-What!?" Trode shook with fear and shock at the event.

"...Such a pity..." Dhoulmagus said mockingly. Dante glared up at the fiend.

"He was defenseless!"

"It seems fate and your benevolent Goddess are _both_ on my side..." Dhoulmagus said, twisting Abbot Francisco's words.

"Hah hah hah!" He cackled evilly. "Yes... Such a pity... _Poor, poor Francisco_!"

The staff glowed once more, surrounding itself with a crimson aura. It hummed with restrained power, and Dhoulmagus looked upon it as if it were a beauty.

"The power!" He exclaimed. "...Hah hah hah! My work here is done!"

He waved his staff at the large window behind him, and blew it up. He made a bow at the rest in the room.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow!" He said his final words before floating out of the room, cackling madly. It was all Harry saw, before finally falling unconscious.

The next day, many people stood, watching as Abbot Francisco's coffin was lowered into the grave meant for him when he passed on. It was raining heavily, so heavy in fact, that Harry thought he was going to sink in the muddy ground.

"Even the Goddess cries at the loss of the Abbot." Angelo had said, choking all the while.

Harry felt and sorrow shame at what had happened. He was powerless to stop Dhoulmagus. Everything he threw at the jester did nothing. The man was faster, stronger, more devious than he. He outclassed Harry in every way. Only Voldemort had made him feel this way before. He stood silently as he watched the Templars shovel the mud back in the grave, to fill it.

Marcello had grudgingly vouched for the group's innocence in this matter, clearing them of any suspicion, and allowing them to attend the Abbot's funeral. Everyone at the funeral felt a terrible sorrow at the loss of the Abbot, and the heavens, too, wept tears of grief.

The rain continued until dawn, the start of a new day.

**oooooooooo**

_Templars' Quarters..._

Harry stared outside the window, as he sat on one of the beds, nursing his side. He was surprised that he was not that injured from his fight against Dhoulmagus, considering the way it turned out. He winced at a sudden jolt of pain.

Yangus, Jessica and Dante were still sound asleep, though it was only a matter of time before they all woke up.

Harry heard some footsteps outside the door, before it clicked open, startling Dante awake.

Angelo strode in the room, and leaned against one of the walls.

"So, you're awake." Angelo began.

"...I realize I said it before the funeral, but I just wanted to assure you that everyone knows that you're innocent." He said. "If it weren't for you, Captain Marcello could well have been killed too." He glanced at Harry and nodded respectfully at the boy who stood between Abbot Francisco and Dhoulmagus.

"We're all in your debt. Especially you, Harry." Angelo said.

"No, no." Harry said. "You're not. I failed. I let the Abbot die." He argued.

Angelo shook his head.

"Don't sully the Abbot's memory by refusing our gratitude, please." Angelo said and that shut Harry right up.

"...Anyway," Angelo said to defuse the tension. "The Templar Captain has summoned you to his office."

He turned to leave. "See you later then. Don't forget!" Angelo closed the door behind him.

Dante went to wake Yangus up. He poked the big man in his stomach, and when that didn't work, he tickled his nose.

"Achoo!" Yangus sneezed, startling himself awake. He looked around wildly, seeing Harry and Dante standing in front of him, while Jessica was still asleep on one of the beds.

"Hi." Dante smiled mischievously. Yangus grinned, finding the strange wakeup call humorous.

"Mornin', guv. Looks like Dhoulmagus gave us the slip again, eh?" Yangus said, before his expression turned a bit sour. "An' all them people dead... I can't believe it."

As Dante began to chat with Yangus, Harry went to wake Jessica. Her face looked somewhat pained, as if she were having a nightmare of sorts. He nudged her shoulder.

"Jessica." He whispered softly into her ear, trying not to startle her.

'_Try waking her up by dumping ice cold water on her_.' Bob suggested, and Harry ignored it while scowling.

Her features smoothed out into the calm face Harry was used to, and then, her eyes fluttered open.

"Huh...?" Jessica rubbed at her eyes as she sat up.

"Hey." Harry greeted the witch, who finally looked at him. She smiled.

"Hey Harry." She greeted back. "How was your sleep?"

"I.." Harry didn't really sleep much the night before. "It was all right." He finally said.

"I see.." Jessica said, looking at him as if she didn't believe him one bit. There were bags under his eyes, and his body language screamed tiredness at her.

"...I had trouble sleeping, as well." She admitted with a sad smile. "Dhoulmagus' treachery never ends."

"He killed another person. He was right in front of me and there was nothing I could do about it." She said.

She glared at the floor, most likely thinking of her brother Alistair. Harry put his hand on her shoulder, getting her attention.

"He'll get what's coming to him." Harry promised, and received a nod, and a tentative smile in reply.

"Harry." Dante's voice interrupted their conversation. Harry turned to see the man in question, glancing at him.

"You want to come with me to the Captain's room?" Dante asked.

"Sure." Harry nodded and looked at Jessica, asking her without saying anything. Jessica got up.

A few moments later, Harry, Yangus, Jessica and Dante stood in front of Captain Marcello's chambers. The two guards got a good look at them.

"Hm?" One said. "Oh, you. The Captain's been waiting for you! Hurry up!"

The two guards stepped aside, granting them entrance.

As they entered Marcello's room, Harry looked around. Trode, and Angelo were also there. Marcello sat in front of his desk, his hands steepled in front of his face. A large bandage was wrapped around his forehead, due to the blunt force trauma his head suffered in his altercation against Dhoulmagus.

"You asked for us?" Dante started.

Marcello regarded him for a moment.

"I trust you slept well." Marcello began. "King Trode has explained everything. I apologize for having doubted you." He laid his hands down on the table.

"_Dhoulmagus_." Marcello spat. "Is the true culprit. In the name of the Goddess, we must strike down that diabolical jester!" He said, but then began to look annoyed. "But I cannot leave here now. As the new Abbot, I have much to do. I must be here to guide my people."

"So." He steepled his hands together again. "I was wondering..." He motioned towards King Trode, who waved at them happily. "According to what King Trode tells me, you are all pursuing Dhoulmagus."

He turned his gaze to Angelo for a moment, but only a moment. He was back to Dante.

"So I have a proposal." Marcello suggested. "I would like my brother Angelo to accompany you on your quest."

Angelo glared at him scornfully.

"Brother?" He scoffed. "I thought you said you wouldn't have a rule-breaker as a brother..."

"Quiet!" Marcello called out. "I wasn't talking to you!"

Marcello took a deep breath. "Angelo. You are the only one we can spare at the moment."

Angelo merely gave him a look. "..."

"Everyone else here has duties to fulfill." Marcello continued. "Only you are without such responsibilities."

"...I'm useless, you mean!" Angelo had enough. "No need to beat around the bush."

He held his hands in the air. "Fine. I understand. You've made yourself _perfectly_ clear." Angelo glared at Marcello resentfully. "I will leave the abbey. I will travel with these people. And I _will_ avenge the Abbot's murder."

He made a quick bow at Marcello, and quickly left the room.

King Trode followed the man.

"I'll be waiting by the carriage with Medea, then..." Trode said, and waved before leaving.

Marcello cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him. He held some rolled up parchment. It was a bit torn around the edges.

"...This is a map of the world." He explained. "If you're going to catch Dhoulmagus, I'm sure you'll find it indispensable." He held it forward for Dante.

"Consider it a peace offering." Marcello said. "For having doubted you and your friends. Please."

Dante gingerly took the map, and placed it in his bag. "Thanks."

"This'll come in handy, it will." Yangus commented. Harry hummed in agreement. Jessica simply nodded.

"Very well then!" Marcello stood up. "I entrust Angelo to your care, and wish you well on your journey."

And with that, Harry, Dante, Jessica and Yangus left the room to meet up with Angelo.

"I didn't follow all o' wot was said before, but is that kid gonna be comin' along wiv us?" Yangus clarified.

"Yeah, it'll be five of us, excluding Trode and the Princess." Harry confirmed.

"Just think." Yangus grinned. "Wiv five of us... Yeah!" He exclaimed. "We might be in wiv a shout against Dhoulmagus wiv four of us! Diamond!"

"It'll certainly make the battle easier. Angelo seemed very competent." Dante agreed.

"It's hard to believe those two are brothers." Jessica said. "They're nothing alike."

She gave a smirk. "Apart from the way they annoy me every time they open their mouths. In that respect, they're identical twins."

Harry laughed.

"Come on. Let's go get Angelo." Harry said, and they all headed out of the Maella Abbey, making sure to greet Priest Thomas on the way. They engaged in a bit of small talk, and Thomas finally wished them well on their journey, handing Harry a few vials of clear liquid.

"It'll keep the monsters away for a while. Use it sparingly." Thomas had said. Harry thanked him for the gift, and they were on their way.

Angelo was waiting for them at the entrance. He waved.

"Hello again." He smiled. "Well, it looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other. I hope you don't mind me coming along."

"Not at all. Help is always appreciated." Dante answered.

"Speak for yourself." Jessica glared at Angelo.

"I'm not doing this because Marcello ordered me to, or for any other selfish reason." He briefly looked at Jessica. "I'm doing it for Abbot Francisco. He was like a father to me."

"That jester... Dhoulmagus... He can't get away with this. And..." He looked at his surroundings disdainfully. "This place. I'll be glad to escape. It's no hardship being asked to join you, believe me."

He turned to Jessica, and gave a bow.

"And anyway," Angelo winked. "I promised you, didn't I? I said I'd reward you for helping me. So, Jessica. From now on, I'll protect you. I won't leave your side. Consider me your personal bodyguard."

Jessica turned away, annoyed. "Sure, Romeo. In your dreams!" She walked to Harry and linked their arms together, smiling at the now blushing boy. "I've already got a bodyguard. He's very sturdy, you see!"

He deflated a bit, and regarded Harry a bit. He had a healthy blush on his cheeks, yet didn't seem to be bothered with correcting her. Interesting.

He shook his slight disappointment off. Plenty of fish in the sea!

"Okay!" He turned and began to walk outside. "Let's hit the road!"

Dhoulmagus had won this battle, but he couldn't keep winning forever, could he? One day, he would fail, and the group of, now five, misfits were making sure that Dhoulmagus would never hurt anyone ever again.

**ooooooooo**

**A bit shorter than usual, but I felt this was a good point to end it on.**

**What do you think?**

**R&R!**


	13. Kingdom of Ascantha

**A/N:** Answering some of the reviews!

**suikofan**: Munchie isn't exactly cursed, seeing as he accepted the terms of his time with Dante. I'm not even sure I want to reveal Munchie's form, considering I have to beat the game, and then have that side story occur. What I will probably do, is include a side story after I finish this one.

**Raging Berserker:** Well, I want people to actually read this. Dragon Quest barely has any stories about it, let alone crossovers. Hell, there isn't even a section for Dragon Quest VIII. It's all lumped together in one section. I'm just trying to do the series justice.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 12: Kingdom of Ascantha  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

The group had exited the Maella Abbey, and began their travels anew. They headed to the town of Simpleton once more for some proper rest after their ordeal.

"Even though Dhoulmagus is still out there, chasing him without rest is foolish." King Trode had said. His reasoning was certainly sound. No one could stay alert all the time, it just wasn't healthy.

So, they were in the Simpleton inn, sitting around one of the tables, the map that Marcello had given them unfurled.

"Where to next?" Dante asked, feeding Munchie a slice of cheese as he sat comfortably on one of the chairs.

"Y'know, apart from the abbey, there's also a big town an' a castle on this cont'nent." Yangus answered, scratching the back of his neck. "They're both a fair old way away, mind. We should get some shut-eye in here before we get goin'." As he said this, he pointed at the path starting from Simpleton and leading eastward, further into the continent.

It was the only way to go, all things considered.

"All right, then." Dante nodded and absent mindedly rubbed the back of Munchie's head, an action it seemed to like greatly. He smiled down at his lifelong friend.

Angelo's expression was dark. "Even if we find Dhoulmagus," He said. "How are we supposed to fight him? He ran through the Templars, not to mention Marcello, Harry and I, with no obvious strain."

Harry frowned, remembering his own helplessness against the evil jester. He had thrown all he had at the monster, but it was like grasping water in one's hands. All of his attacks were either dodged or countered.

"Dhoulmagus..." Dante began. "He is a formidable opponent. Being Master Rylus' pupil is no small feat."

"Who?" Angelo asked curiously.

"I see that name does not have much meaning for you." Dante said. "Rylus was a powerful mage who lived in the town of Fareburry. As I was saying, Master Rylus bestowed his magical knowledge onto a select few of his choosing. One of them, was Dhoulmagus himself."

He took a breath. "According to King Trode, Dhoulmagus infiltrated the Kingdom of Trodain, and managed to get his hands on an ancient sceptre with untold magical power. The same sceptre he used to curse Medea and King Trode, as well as..." Dante trailed off, seeing Jessica and Angelo's expressions.

"...Anyway, that sceptre has amplified his already considerable powers to an extent that he was capable of overwhelming groups of people at will. As we saw a few days ago." Dante explained gravely.

"I am a bit curious." Jessica said and motioned at Harry. "He was about to strike Harry down, but something stopped him."

They all looked at him.

"I-I..." Harry stammered, not knowing what to say. To be honest, he did not even know what stopped Dhoulmagus' sudden attack. He remembered taking a breather after his Blaze Barrage, and Dhoulmagus was suddenly in front of him, with no warning. No sign of movement. At least, no sign of movement Harry could detect, which, considering his skills as a Seeker, was quite frightening to him.

"I don't know." Harry finally admitted. "He didn't seem like he knew what happened, either..."

Harry remembered that part as well. Dhoulmagus could not get near him. It was as if he was warded against the evil jester.

'Warded against...?' Could his mother's protection have followed him here?

'_No way. That only used to work on old Riddle and old Tom found a way around it, remember?_' Bob countered.

"I think I may have an idea." Dante said, gaining everyone's attention.

"Harry." Dante started. "Remember when we were at the church in Port Prospect?"

"..." Harry had a thoughtful expression, before his eyes widened in realization.

"Is that what she meant?" Harry asked, and Dante gave a nod.

"I'm not really sure, but it's the only thing I can think of, to be honest."

"That does make sense, 'Arry." Yangus put in his two cents.

"I'm sorry." Angelo interrupted. "What are you talking about?"

"Until recently." Harry said. "I was... 'cursed' by something extremely dark." He picked his words carefully.

"I... see." Angelo answered, still confused. "But what does that have to do with-"

"The priestess in Port Prospect said that I also had a 'holy power' within me." As if Harry did not have enough powers already. What's one more, eh?

Angelo stood up, and made his way to Harry, before placing his hand on the top of Harry's head. He pressed down and adopted a look of concentration.

"Wha-" Harry began.

"Be quiet." Angelo admonished. "Let me concentrate."

Harry did as he was told.

"...Sure enough." Angelo finally said after a few moments. He removed his hand from Harry's forehead. "I can feel it. We Templars are given training in the holy arts, though I was never as good as the others in sensing Holy power." He scratched his head. "Didn't put much effort into it because... Let's face it, Holy power doesn't really scream 'evil presence'. So I never really put much effort into it." He said as he took his seat once more.

"Understandable." Dante said.

"I would assume you were using it unconsciously." Angelo reasoned. "If you learned how to properly use it..." He trailed off.

"So you'll...?" Harry asked eagerly.

"I'll train you how to use it." Angelo answered.

"Thanks!"

"Not a problem. I'd assume we will need every advantage we can get against Dhoulmagus."

"So, about that dinner..." Angelo said.

"But we already had dinner!" Dante shouted exasperatedly, getting a few chuckles in answer.

"You can never have enough dinner."

After that, the conversation degenerated into small talk until it was time for them to sleep.

**oooooooooo**

The sun had completed its tour for the day, and was replaced by countless stars, which dotted the dark ocean above. A low, crescent moon hovered in the twilight firmament, shining a very dim light upon the land. It was a cool, windy night. The swaying of trees and rustling of leaves could be heard, but not seen, as the encompassing darkness had blotted out all but the faintest light. Briefly, a dark, wispy cloud eclipsed the crescent moon. For a few moments, it looked like there was a halo around the cloud, giving it an ethereal and luminescent quality.

Harry silently marveled at the scenery above him, as he lay on the grass outside the inn. At times like these, when staring at the open, starry sky, he felt such a powerful freedom. He raised his hand slowly, as if he did not want to disturb the stars above.

"It is beautiful up there, isn't it?" A voice said softly, startling him.

He sat up, only to see Jessica gazing up as well, a serene smile on her face.

"Yeah." Was all that came out of his mouth

'_Smooth._' Bob mocked, but Harry merely ignored it, an angry blush being the only indication he had heard it.

She gave him a curious glance.

"Heh." Jessica smiled. "Maybe we should always do this together."

"You know." She said, when she saw Harry's confused look. "Watch the sky every night. I enjoyed it last time."

"I enjoyed it as well." Harry answered, his heartbeat making itself heard through his body. He smiled back.

"Would you care to join me?" He patted the space to his left.

She merely gave a nod, and soon enough, they lay on the grass, watching the heavens shine down upon them. She sighed happily. "This is the best."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, getting Harry's attention. "But there _is_ something missing." Her voice sounded somewhat mischievous and something else Harry couldn't place, though it made him shiver in excitement.

"And what would that be?" Harry asked.

"Hmmm... This!" She took his hand in her own, and squeezed it gently. Her fingers were a bit cold at the tips, making him shiver. Soon, however, they grew warm, and Harry scooted closer to her form, now feeling as if he couldn't get enough of her warmth.

"Much better this way." He explained dazedly. Jessica said nothing, but her eyes shined with happiness and desire.

And the night went on...

**oooooooooo**

The next morning, the sounds of battle could be heard outside of the Simpleton inn.

Harry wiped the sweat from his eyes as his body as the morning sun's light shone upon him, invigorating him. He held his sword at the ready, waiting for whatever his opponent had planned.

Dante merely smirked, not looking tired in the least.

"Good. Your strength is definitely increasing. You don't lug that sword around like a rank amateur anymore, either." Dante praised, before rushing the Boy Who Lived. He feinted a sword strike to the right, before quickly switching stances and landing a knee in Harry's side, making him wince and stagger backwards.

"But you still need to keep an eye on your blind spots." Dante said, before sheathing his weapon, and going back to the inn to use the communal bath. Harry followed him.

They stripped, and entered the water. There a few other travelers already in the hot springs, but they paid them no heed. Angelo and Yangus were already there waiting for them.

"It feels like all this training isn't helping..." Harry grumbled.

"Trust me, it is." Dante assured him with a smile. "You may not see it now, but mastering the basics can be the difference between life and death. Basics kill."

Harry sighed, and nodded. He remembered his times with the DA, when some students were appalled he was trying to teach them the expelliarmus spell. Most of them scoffed at the idea, claiming it was a child's spell.

"All right." He leaned back and let his muscles relax in the hot water.

"You'll get the 'ang of things soon 'nuff, 'Arry!" Yangus gave a hearty, his massive form taking up quite a bit of space in the spring.

"And besides." Angelo cut in. "Sword skills aren't the only thing you know, right? You also have your magic."

"Yes, definitely. You could work on your fire magic, and that teleportation you tried at the Abbey." Dante agreed. Angelo whistled appreciatively.

"So that's how you ended up outside the cell? Impressive, especially considering..." Angelo trailed off.

"Considering what?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well..." Angelo started. "The cells are supposed to resist the _Zoom _and _Escape_ spells."

"_Zoom? Escape?_" Harry repeated the spell names. Escape was quite self explanatory, but Zoom wasn't.

"Yes. They are very useful spells to learn. Maybe I'll teach you in one of our next sessions." Dante explained. "_Escape_ is a spell which lets you quickly get out of almost any structure. It was Master Rylus' grandfather who created that spell. It truly is a work of art, because it can work in almost any structure, no matter the layout."

Dante took a breath. "_Zoom_, on the other hand, is teleportation magic. Rather..." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I would describe it as more of a high-speed transportation type of magic. It's not instantaneous, but if you've already been to a city or some such, all you would need to do is imagine where you'd be, and you would fly there. Its only weakness is that you can't use it if there is a roof above your head."

"Wicked." Harry breathed.

'_They would definitely be useful for when we go back to our home dimension_... _Especially when no one knows what they are. Escape to get out of a dungeon, and Zoom to just leave._' Bob voiced his agreement.

"However, as Angelo said, many prisons have wards against such magic." Dante finished.

"Makes sense." Harry answered, vowing to practice his skill at Apparition, and hopefully learn _Zoom_ and _Escape_ later on.

A while later, the party was ready to begin their travels.

Their destination? Further east into the continent, in hopes of finding any trace of Dhoulmagus.

The group walked along the dirt path, chatting amongst one another, occasionally killing off a few predators that came close. Harry had the misfortune of being covered with a Slime's 'juices' after scaring it away. It drew some very loud laughs from Yangus.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Harry muttered.

"How did I even get myself into this?" He asked no one in particular.

"It's been a custom since ancient times that a king on an incognito excursion must have a man on each side and a beautiful woman accompanying him." King Trode quipped. "And when the entourage rests at lodgings, the young woman disrobes and thoroughly bathes herself and her King."

"...What?" Dante asked, giving King Trode an odd look. Harry, Yangus and Angelo also gave the diminutive green troll odd looks.

"What kind of stupid idea is forming in your head, old man?" Jessica looked somewhat irritated.

"It's tradition, I tell you!" King Trode said. "And I am _not_ an old man!"

Medea whinnied and gave a snort. Her eyes were shining with amusement at the subject.

After a few minutes of good natured bickering, they reached a sign that said.

"- Maella Abbey  
Ascantha Castle -"

The path beyond the sign lead downhill, past a small forest in a miniature valley of sorts.

"Ascantha Castle, eh?" Dante said. "We'd best stop there. Perhaps they might have any information on Dhoulmagus' whereabouts."

"'Tis a fair old way away, guv." Yangus said. "It's a good thing we got some rest in tha' town."

"Yeah." Dante agreed. "We'd best not waste time."

And waste time they did not. The group made their way through the forest at a quick and steady pace. Surprisingly enough, nothing attacked them. But who were they to question their good fortune? Hell, it took them hours to even get out of the forest!

Finally exiting the forested area, they walked down the path for at least another few hours, until they reached a peculiar sight. One building right next to a bridge going over a river. The sun was beginning to set, coloring the sky with orange and red.

"Who would live out here?" Harry wondered out loud.

"I wouldn't mind spendin' the rest o' me days in a little 'ouse like this." Yangus said. "It 'ardly needs sayin', but I'd want you there too, guv, 'Arry!" He laughed to himself a little. "Sittin' next to the fireplace, maybe! That's me dream anyway!"

"Why the fireplace?" Dante asked.

"We'd be havin' a good ole time, drinkin' ale and sittin' 'round tha fire!" Yangus answered.

"That would be nice. Heh." Dante smiled, and knocked on the door.

After a small while, it opened, revealing an old, worn looking woman.

"Travelers, I see!" She began. "Don't see much of those around these parts. Come in!"

The group awkwardly shuffled inside the rather small house. The old woman immediately brought some bread and water, which they gratefully took. After the impromptu meal, Dante stood up.

"Thank you for the meal. It was very kind." Dante began with a small bow. "We are wandering travelers looking for a certain man. Perhaps you can help us?"

"A man? What does he look like?" The old woman asked and Dante answered.

"Don't believe I've seen anybody like that." She said. "Though, I don't really go outside, much. I'm an old woman, you see. These old bones aren't what they used to be."

"Why do you live here, alone, then?" Jessica asked with concern.

The woman smiled. "My granddaughter, Emma, works as a maid at the castle." She sighed. "She's a lovely, hardworking girl. She's not been able to take any holiday for these past two years now. I do miss her visits..."

"Ascantha Castle." Angelo sighed in relief. "I was half wondering if we'd ever get there."

"Mah." The old woman waved it off. "Just follow the path and you'll come to it eventually. You're all young!"

Harry grinned. "Thank you for the help!" The others also gave thanks and began to leave.

"Be sure to say hello to my granddaughter if you see her!" She called out to their retreating forms.

"We will!" Jessica said.

"We'll set camp on the other side of the bridge. No sense in travelling through the night..." Dante reasoned, while everyone else nodded in agreement. And so, they set up camp.

"I'm starving." Harry said as Yangus came back with some firewood and looked to King Trode. "Can we have some of your stew again? It was very good."

King Trode sputtered a bit, a blush on his cheek.

"I-I.. Well... Why not?"

"Excellent!"

Later that night, King Trode startled himself awake. He rubbed at his eyes, and blearily looked around. He seemed to be in his tent.

'That's right! We set up camp.' King Trode remembered, as he heard the obnoxious sound of Yangus' snoring. He also heard some rustling outside. Getting up, he decided to investigate it.

It was Angelo. He was leaning against a tree, looking up at the sky, a dark expression on his handsome face.

"...Ah, Angelo. You look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders!" King Trode approached the young man.

Angelo regarded him for a moment, and then looked back up. "..."

Trode sat on a stump next to him. "Maybe it would help to get it off your chest, hm? Not that I want to force you, mind..."

It was a long, and awkward silence before Angelo finally answered.

"...I don't know." He began. "Maybe things will never be right between us. He..." Angelo lifted up a hand. "Marcello... will never forgive me. If only we didn't share common blood, I'm sure we'd get along fine." He looked back up.

"Abbot Francisco was always well-known around these parts for his benevolence." Angelo said. "He'd often take in children who had nowhere else to go."

"And I was one of them..." Angelo admitted. "My parents were well-off, part of the aristocracy. But then they both died." He explained. Trode gave a nod, knowing the people in question.

"All of a sudden, I was left with no family and no money. The abbey was the only place I could go." Angelo gave a small shudder, remembering the despair he'd felt as a child...

_Flashback..._

_A very young Angelo stood in the courtyard of the Abbey, with all his possession in a small sack. Priests walked past him, ignoring his presence. He looked around, scared and feeling very alone in the world._

_A man approached him. It was Marcello._

_"...You're new here, aren't you?" Marcello asked kindly. "Are you here to join the brothers? Have you come all on your own?"_

_Angelo gave a meek nod._

_"Oh..." Marcello looked at him with concern. "You must be exhausted! Where are your things? Is that all you've got?"_

_"Um..." Angelo said sadly, looking at the floor. "My mummy and daddy died. So I don't have many things. And I don't have anywhere else to go..."_

_Marcello took him by the shoulders. "...You sound a lot like me. But there's no need to worry." He said kindly. "Abbot Francisco and all of us will be your family from now on."_

_Angelo sniffed. "B-But... But..."_

_"...Let's go and find the Abbot. Come on now, don't cry." He extended his hand and kneeled to his level. "Why don't you tell me your name?"_

_Angelo wiped at his eyes and smiled at the kind man. "...Angelo."_

_In an instant, Marcello's demeanor changed. He stood up, and backed away from the boy._

_"You..." Marcello glared. "So you're Angelo."_

_"...Leave." Marcello ordered. "I want you to leave. You..." He shook with rage. "Leave and never come back. I don't ever want to see you again!"_

_Angelo stood there stock still, shocked, and hurt._

_"...So you're intent on ruining this life for me as well, are you?" He turned and left the courtyard, unable to look at Angelo anymore._

_Pause Flashback..._

"Marcello was the golden boy of the abbey." Angelo said. "He studied hard and had a bright future ahead of him. But when it came to me, his attitude wasn't so positive."

_Resume Flashback..._

_As Angelo stood there, watching the elder boy leave, Abbot Francisco approached him._

_"...I'm sorry, child." The man said mournfully. "I'm sad to say I heard that little exchange. It's so unlike Marcello to act like that. I just don't understand..."_

_He took a look at the boy, recognizing the similarities between the two's appearances._

_"Ah... I see..." He patted the boy's head in an attempt to soothe him. "I always knew he had a half-brother... That's you, isn't it? You're Angelo."_

_He smiled at the boy. "Well, they say time heals all wounds... Let's hope your living here will make everything all right."_

_"Now, come along with me." He put his hand on Angelo's shoulder and led him to the monks' residence._

_"From today onwards, this will be your home. Why don't I introduce you to everyone?"_

_End Flashback..._

"Not long after that, I heard the full story for the first time." Angelo said. "About how I had a half-brother who was born from an affair between my father and one of the maids."

"And that was Marcello... If I hadn't been born, he'd have been next in line to my father." Angelo explained. "But when I _was_ born, Marcello and his mother were thrown out of the house with nothing to their names. She died soon afterwards."

"He had no one. So he ended up in the abbey, hating me and my father for all those years." Angelo said, and looked back at the sky.

"Quite a bombshell, don't you think?" Angelo tried to joke. "I was so young and innocent then, too. The whole thing hurt more than you can imagine."

"Still, c'est la vie..." He forced a smile. "My father got off lightly. He did just what he wanted and then died. He left _me_ to take the consequences. I'm the only one left for Marcello to hate now."

Trode stayed silent.

"...In a way, I can't say I blame him. And it was probably good that we lived together. At least it gave him someone to take it all out on. It certainly added a bit of a spice to the humdrum life at Maella Abbey, anyway!"

"Angelo, I'm so..." King Trode tried to apologize, but the sound of a rooster interrupted him.

"This story's gone on long enough. Look! It's nearly daybreak!" He walked back into one of the tents, ignoring Trode's "Wait!"

**oooooooooo**

Soon enough, they were back on the beaten path which leads to Ascantha Castle. Harry held a vial of water in his hand, and attempted to concentrate.

'_It's not going to work, you know. You're doing it wrong._' Bob gloated, while Harry growled in frustration.

'Shut up! What would you know, anyway? If only Angelo would actually tell me how to do this..!' Harry thought back furiously.

You see, Angelo's version of training was to give him certain tasks, and expect him to do it in a quick manner. This was his first 'lesson', and he was already hating every moment. Angelo had simply given him a vial of water, and told him to 'bless it with the power of the Goddess.' This would, according to him, turn it into holy water, capable of repelling darkness as well as curing many curses.

So far, he hadn't done anything to it.

'_Mah... I'm sure you'll get it... Eventually._' Bob said, and Harry got the distinct impression he was being laughed at.

"Just a bit more, and we'll reach the castle." Trode's voice broke his thoughts. Harry stuffed the vial back in one of his pockets.

"It'll certainly be much better than hanging about talking to an old fogy." Angelo's voice rang out. "Castles always tend to be the stage for beautiful maidens, intrigue and vengeance, right?"

"Very true." King Trode nodded wisely. Medea snorted in amusement.

"I wonder what the King looks like? I've never met a king before!" Jessica exclaimed. She looked at Trode.

"...Except King Trode, of course. But for some reason, it just isn't the same. I suppose it's his looks!"

"What are you implying!?" Trode glared, and she just laughed, making him even angrier.

"All right, you lot. That's enough." Dante said, trying to keep the smile off his face.

"I think I see the castle!" Harry pointed to the left. They all turned to look. Even from that distance, they could spot the giant structure. Cut off from the wilderness by a long, stone bridge, the castle towered over the trees surrounding it, giving it a titan-like appearance.

"Intriguing." King Trode noted as he gazed upon the black banners the castle had hung, but said nothing further. "Well, let's go on, then!"

They made their way past some small farms, the sound of sheep, cows and chickens assaulting their ears. Past those, they reached the bridge leading inside the castle.

The group bade their goodbye to Trode and Medea, before entering. It was a very quaint looking place. The main building of the castle was surrounded by several small houses, and well kept gardens which showed off its regal beauty.

Almost immediately, they took in the appearance of the citizens. They looked downright miserable. They were dressed in all-black.

"Why do you think they're dressed like that?" Harry asked, though he could probably guess.

"Must be a funeral, I s'pose." Yangus said.

"They all look so sad..." Jessica said. "It reminds me of when... Alistair died."

"... Jessica. I, er, I dunno wot to say..." Yangus stammered. "Oh! This is why I ain't good wiv women!"

"I thought I'd seen the last of black cloaks and grey mantles when I left the abbey." Angelo said. "Still, mourning dress does have some redeeming features. I spy some strikingly pretty faces amidst the drab tones." He gave a small smirk, somehow cheering everyone up. "Perhaps I might be able to cheer one or two of them up."

"No matter." Dante said. "Let's go ask around to see if anyone has seen _him_ around."

They wasted no time in questioning the first person they came across.

"Have I heard of a jester called Dhoulmagus?" The man answered. "Huh! As if a jester would come to a gloomy old place like this! Look around you." He scoffed. "Everyone here's dressed in black. If a jester had been here, he'd have stood out like a sore thumb." The man walked away.

Harry heard some ruckus in one of the houses, so he excused himself.

"All right, Harry." Dante said. "Give me your sword, though."

At Harry's quizzical glance, Dante pointed at the weapon's shop next to the church. "I reckon I can get it sharpened. Nothing's worse than your sword becoming dull."

Harry nodded and unsheathed his sword. He _was_ beginning to have trouble with it. In a few moments, only he and Jessica were left.

"Figured I would go snoop around as well." She said.

"Fine by me."

They snuck to the house he had his eye on, and stood next to one of the open windows.

"-always being indoors!" A child's voice rang out. "I want to go and play outside!"

"None of that, child. We are not allowed to do such things right now. We are in mourning!" A female voice admonished. The boy shouted in exasperation, and ran to his room. if the footsteps were anything to go by. Sure enough, Harry heard a door slam.

The woman sighed. "If only the King would get better again. It's been two years now!" She said. "We all have to wear mourning clothes and everyone is so gloomy, it's unbearable!" She went back to the kitchen.

Harry and Jessica glanced at each other, and quickly made their way to meet up with the rest of the party. They were standing in front of the weapon's store, watching the owner sharpen up some of their weaponry.

"We're back." Jessica said.

"Welcome back." Dante said. "Did you find anything out?"

And so they told him of what they overheard.

"...Two years of mourning?" Dante asked.

"That's just absurd!" Angelo exclaimed. "I understand the need to mourn, but... This long?"

"Some folks feel the 'urt more than others." Yangus said quietly, drawing a few stares.

"I suppose you're right." Angelo sighed.

"Well, it's not really what we're here for." Harry cut in. "Let's go see the King. Perhaps he has some information on Dhoulmagus."

Everyone nodded, and entered the main building.

"Woah." The entrance room was a beautiful garden. In the center, there was a peculiar looking fountain; four statues of maidens holding jars, which spewed water out in a small pool. All in all, the view was quite impressive.

Giving it a few glances of wonder and appreciation, the group wasted no further time, and made their way up the staircase on the side. They stood in a large hallway, filled with banners and statues. There were a few doors, possibly leading to quarters for the residents. Another stairway was at the center of the hallway, with two statues of angels proudly standing next to it.

"Which way?" Harry asked.

"The throne room is usually at the top of a castle." Dante guessed. "I'm surprised the guards haven't stopped us yet. I suppose doing nothing for two years dulls the edge."

"Aye, it does." Yangus agreed.

They walked up the stairs, and saw a guard standing by yet another set of stairs.

'_I don't like this place_.' Bob said, annoyed.

"Ah, visitors. Don't see much of those around here." The guard said. "The audience chamber is just upstairs. But," He said as they began to ascend. "If you've come to see the King, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. The Minister deals with visitors nowadays."

"I see." Dante answered, and gave a small bow, which the rest of the group reciprocated before continuing onwards. "Well, thank you nonetheless."

"A pleasure." Was the last thing they heard before they entered the throne room.

It was the first time Harry had seen a throne room that was not in a book, or movie. There was a set of stairs right in front of the group. To their left, stood a long set of pillars, with a large, patterned, bright red carpet. At the end, there was a throne.

'_Wonder where Hogwarts' throne room is?_' Bob suddenly said.

'Hogwarts has a throne room?' Harry asked. This was news to him.

'_Well it's a castle, so I assume it would, wouldn't it?'_

'True. Could be something we could do once we get back.' Harry thought, and turned his attention back to reality. Dante had already approached the short and stout man standing next to the throne. which was empty.

"Hello, sir. We are travelers from the Kingdom of Trodain." Dante asked genially.

"...Ah!" The man squeaked. "It's most unusual for us to have visitors here. Welcome to Ascantha." He waved his arms grandiosely. His visage crumbled, though. "Regrettably, you find us in mourning for our late Queen, so the King is presently unavailable, as he is in his quarters upstairs. I'm afraid that I must request that you leave."

"...As you wish. We thank you for your hospitality." Dante answered and walked away, the group trailing behind him.

"Feh, this trip was for nothing." Angelo said, irritated.

"We still have one more thing to try." Dante said, getting their attention. "We're going to the King himself."

"But he's in his chambers, mourning!" Angelo answered.

'_Clearly he has no idea of how we operate._' Bob scoffed and Harry gave a grin.

"That's the stuff, guv!" Yangus grinned. Jessica merely shook her head in minor annoyance.

They made their way upstairs, careful not to let the Minister see them, they reached open air. The King's Chambers turned out to be a house, on top the castle.

"His Chambers are at the very top of the castle. Very... egotistical." Angelo said.

"Quiet." Dante hissed. "There's someone at the door."

Sure enough, a young maid stood outside of King's Chambers. She seemed worried beyond belief.

"Are you feeling all right, Your Majesty? It's me." She said. "Emma, the maid."

The door stayed closed.

"I see you haven't eaten any of the lunch I brought you, Your Majesty." She said, sadly. "I'll be sure to bring you your favorite for supper..."

No answer.

She sighed. "Please, Your Majesty. Please answer me." She begged. "I just want to make sure you're all right."

Silence.

"...Very well." She gave a bow. "I'll leave you in peace. Excuse me." Emma walked away from the door with her head down, not even noticing their presence as she passed them and went down the stairs.

"Let's go back down." Harry suggested, and they quickly followed Emma, only to see her speaking to the Minister.

"He won't come out?" The Minister said, either ignoring Dante and his friends, or not noticing them in the first place.

"He's hardly eating a thing either." Emma said, wiping futilely at her eyes. "And I could hear him weeping all through the night, yesterday." She looked up. "He was such a benevolent and wise king when the Queen was still alive..."

"I'm terribly sorry I'm of so little use to him."

"I see... So it continues." The Minister answered sadly. "It must be difficult for you, Emma."

"But I need you to keep trying." The Minister said determinedly."If the King cannot recover from this, the country will fall apart."

He seemed lost for a moment. "...I just don't know what to suggest."

He looked over her shoulder, catching Harry's eye. Emma turned as well.

"Ah, hello there." Emma said. "Do you seek an audience with the King of Ascantha?"

"Yes. We are hoping he could help us with a certain issue." Harry answered. Emma looked downwards.

"I'm afraid that His Majesty has been unavailable to visitors since the period of mourning for the late Queen began... Two years ago." She explained. "He comes down to the royal suite every night, but I doubt he'll grant you an audience."

"...I realize that must seem strange to you." She looked away. "But if you return after dark, you'll see for yourselves."

"We will." Jessica said, and began to leave.

"Oh!" Jessica exclaimed. "I almost forgot."

She walked back to Emma. "Your grandmother says hello. She is worried about you."

Emma's eyes widened. "You know my grandma!"

"We are travelers." Dante said, as if it explained everything. Emma nodded.

"Thank you, travelers."

The group stood outside the main building.

"What's the plan now?" Angelo asked.

"Well, we need to talk to the King, I suppose." Harry said.

"Why should we? It's not as if Dhoulmagus has passed by here. Else we'd have known about it. He doesn't exactly sneak through places." Angelo countered.

"Your logic is sound." Dante said. "But we will do this regardless. I'm duty bound to help friends of Trodain."

"It's a right shame this kingd'm is facing troubles." Yangus said. "I agree with the guv!"

"The King has some considerable power and information network. I'm sure if we help him, he will help us in kind." Jessica reasoned. "Plus, I also cannot stand by and see people in misery."

"I have a 'saving people' thing." Harry said with a grin. Jessica suppressed a wince at the memory of her blasting him with her flame attack back at the Tower of Alexandria.

Angelo sighed, but couldn't find it in him to argue, either. He wanted to help these people as much as the rest did.

"All right then."

"Then it's settled!" Dante said. "We will wait until nightfall, and then confront the King!"

**oooooooooo**

Phewie! Glad that's over with. I had a major case of writer's block with this chapter. I didn't put action in there, either.

I realize I'm not much of a writer when it comes to descriptive content. I don't really care about how to describe scenery, rather than say it is wondrous and unique. Probably because I have trouble making sense of it all, you know?

Anyway. Chapter 12, over!

Review! Hope you like it.


	14. Moonshadow

**A/N: **Thanks for all your reviews, favorites and follows! Bit of a romance-y chapter here. I must go watch puppies getting kicked to lose this mushy feeling right now.

**Raging Berserker:** I'll surely try. I've been doing my best to try and keep the story flowing at a decent rate, not too slow, but not too fast either. I don't want to fall into the trap that many fanfic writers do, which is have insane attitude changes in a single paragraph (unless it's obvious, of course). I can't count how many "Harry realizes Dumbledore is evil and everyone he ever knew was too" stories there are, yet I can count the _good_ ones on one hand. Anyway, I really appreciate your reviews :) Makes me want to continue writing.

**Zeromaru Chaos Mode:** Harry/Jessica is indeed confirmed, my friend. I don't really know how to do sex scenes for the couple, though. But I'm jumping the gun a bit, Harry and Jessica will get intimate later on. Thanks for the review! I remember reading "From Fantasy to Reality" a few years back; it's a pretty good read! I'd suggest reading the "The Wizard of the Kaleidoscope" By OnTheImportanceOfLungs. It's a bit hard to keep up with, but it's pretty good. Takes elements from Naruto and applies them to Harry Potter. I'm actually thinking of doing the same in the sequel for this story, since Harry will wield incredible power when he returns.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 13: Moonshadow  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

The plan was simple. Wait until nightfall, and then go to the throne room in order to meet with the King. Hopefully, Harry and his companions could enlist the aid of the King.

As it turned out, however, their nightly visit to the throne room in order to speak with the King bore no fruit.

The King of Ascantha wore traditional black royal garb— as customary for mourning purposes. His crown lay on the floor, discarded. The man was on his knees leaning on the seat of his throne, sobs wracking his body. His hair was unkempt, a look not befitting a man of his stature. He had bags under his eyes, a sign of severe lack of sleep. Tears streamed down his face with no indication of stopping.

Heedless of the group's presence, the King had begun speaking.

"...Why?" He asked. "Why did you have to go to heaven and leave me all alone, my dear Sasha?" His voice broke a little. "It's been two long years. Time stopped for me when you left. I'm sure my heart died with you..."

His body shook with grief.

"Just one more time, even in my dreams..." The King pleaded. "If only I could just see you one more time. Without you..." He suppressed a sob. "My crown and my throne mean nothing. I'm helpless here, left all alone."

"Please..." He pleaded again, before he began sobbing once more.

"I don't think we're going to get anything out of this bloke." Harry whispered, and received nods from the rest of the group. They took one last glance at the broken man before them, before silently making their way out of the castle.

"That man REALLY got under my skin." Jessica was angry. "Someone needs to give His Majesty a good slap. I know he loved the Queen, but it's been two years now. A king has responsibilities! He can't mope around forever."

"It's not that I can't sympathize with him, though." She calmed down. "I mean, I've lost someone I love, too."

"It's not exactly the same as losing your beloved spouse." Angelo countered. "You'll understand one day, when you've experienced true love for yourself... Perhaps I could offer my services on that front?" He said. Harry tensed up, biting back a reply. Jessica, however, had no such qualms.

"Bring your services anywhere _near_ my front and I'll _cut them off_, you floppy-haired choir boy!" She threatened, a vicious look in her eyes. Angelo blanched and backed off.

'_Now that's a mental image I could do without_.' Bob grimaced, and Harry just nodded, feeling a bit queasy himself. Nonetheless, he stepped behind her, and rubbed at her back soothingly. Surprisingly, it worked.

"This whole meeting was a waste." Jessica said, relaxing a little, as they began walking down the next set of stairs.

"Agreed." Dante concurred, sighing. "I had hoped things weren't so dire."

"Not much we can do about it, except move on." Harry's words of encouragement did little to squash the feeling of disappointment in the air. Jessica flashed him a quick smile.

"...Oh!" A familiar voice rang below them. Harry looked down the flight of stairs, eyes widening in recognition. It was Emma, the maid they'd talked to earlier that day.

She ran up to them and folded her hands together.

"Did you meet with His Majesty in the royal suite!?" She inquired. Dante gave a nod.

"If you could call it a meeting." Harry said, drawing a few sharp looks from his friends. He muttered a quick apology, a blush on his face.

"It's all right." Emma waved it off. "I must explain! King Pavan is refusing to speak with anyone at present." She sighed. "Please forgive him if he caused offense."

"It's all right." Jessica replied, a look of understanding in her eyes.

She looked down sadly. "You see, he's never been quite the same since Queen Sasha died two years ago." Her tone became a bit forlorn. "If only it were possible to meet with those who've passed away... It would mean the world to the King if he could see his Queen once more."

She looked up suddenly, a conflicted look on her face.

"...You know." She began. "My grandmother used to tell me lots of stories when I was small. Lots of very strange stories."

'_Wonder where she's going with this._' Bob said offhandedly, and Harry gave a mental nod in agreement.

"I'm sure there was one about a way to make any wish come true..." She trailed off. "It's no good, though!" She looked a little frustrated. "I just can't remember it."

"I'm sure she'd be happy to tell me if I went to see her, but I'm so busy with work here at the castle..." She said before turning to Dante.

"I'm afraid I must ask you a favor." She said uncertainly. "I'd like you to go and meet with my grandmother. She lives in a house west of-"

"We know. We've met her already, remember?" Harry cut in with a smile.

"Oh. That's true. I apologize: I tend to forget things when I get worked up." She apologized but Harry just waved it off. Emma looked back at Dante.

"Could you ask her to tell you the old story about how to make wishes come true?" She asked, but looked down at the skeptical looks of the group.

"Maybe it's just a fairy tale." Emma had the decency to admit. "But if there's any chance it might be true, then I _have_ to try and help the King. I would go and ask her myself, but there's so much work to be done at the castle. And I..." She stammered, tears threatening to burst from her eyes. "I can't leave him on his own."

There was silence for a few moments, and then...

"I understand." Dante said with a smile. "We will go speak with your grandmother and see if there's anything that can be done to help this situation."

She beamed at them, before wordlessly going upstairs, presumably to the throne room, leaving the group to their own devices.

"Well, looks like we've got something to work with." Dante spoke.

"I doubt we'll find anything, in any case." Angelo said skeptically, but there was a thoughtful smile on his face. "The late Queen must've been a near perfect specimen, seeing as he doesn't take notice of Emma's beauty at all."

"A decent bloke don't back on a promise." Yangus replied. "We've gotta go to that Emma's gran's 'ouse an' ask 'er 'bout this fairy tale, whether it be wrong or right."

"Emma and I seem to be about the same age, but she has to work to support herself." Jessica said sympathetically. "And she has to live away from her family while she does it. She must miss them terribly."

"...I think we should help her." She finally said. Dante gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"We'll need to meet up with King Trode to inform him of the situation first." Dante said.

"Will he mind us going on this escapade?" Angelo asked as they exited the main building of the castle.

"I don't think he will." Harry answered, digging into his pocket, pulling out the vial of water Angelo had given him. "He wants to help people as well."

Angelo nodded, and changed the subject. "Any luck with the task I gave you?"

"...No." Harry admitted sheepishly. "You didn't exactly explain what I needed to do. I've been able to take hold of my power and tried to energize the water." He held up the vial, and concentrated. It glowed a bright blue for a few seconds, before fading.

"But it just keeps dissipating." He concluded. "I'm definitely missing something. Any hints?"

"Ah." Angelo said knowingly. "All right, here's your hint: during a ceremony, what exactly does a priest do to bless an item?"

"What does that have to do with-"

"Just answer the question." Angelo replied sternly.

Harry frowned. "Well he gets the item, lifts it up, and blesses it. I don't see what you're trying to tell me."

Angelo groaned. "The answer's right under your nose. Your idea of focusing your power is good, but it's missing a key element. Holy power ultimately stems from the Goddess. It is technically not _your_ power to use."

"Don't tell me.." Harry balked. "I have to ask_ permission_?"

"Now you've got it." Angelo smiled as they passed by the inn. "I was hoping you'd get it by yourself."

'_Interesting concept._' Bob said before Harry could throw a tantrum. '_You should try it now_.'

"Let's see if it works, then." Harry sighed, and concentrated once more, holding the glowing vial up at the sky.

"What do I even say?" Harry asked himself.

"Maybe a request?" Jessica suggested.

"All right. Here goes."

"Umm, could you please bless this item, Goddess?" He asked, embarrassed. No answer.

Harry was about to give Angelo a good smack for messing with him, but he felt a shift in the air. An imperceptible force surrounded him, making him shiver. He heard the same melodious laugh he had heard back in the ruins of the old Maella Abbey. The force flooded into the vial, and somehow Harry just knew he had done it.

"Thank you." He murmured to the sky and turned to Angelo, silently handing the vial over.

Angelo gave it a quick examination, and nodded approvingly. "Good. You've got this down fairly quickly. We'll work on something else soon. I suggest you practice this to perfection." He handed the vial back.

"Five points to Gryffindor." Harry muttered under his breath. He would've been at Hogwarts by now. It's been months since he first came here. Harry hoped his friends didn't drive themselves insane with worry.

'They probably think I'm dead or worse, by now.' He thought to himself.

'_We'll get back somehow. We are good at doing what should be impossible, aren't we?_' Bob said encouragingly, making Harry smile.

Finally outside the castle, they regrouped with King Trode, and informed him of the situation.

"...And that's about it." Dante finished.

Trode had a thoughtful look on his wrinkly green face. "Hmm, I see..."

A wide grin suddenly spread on Trode's face, showing his excitement. Angelo and Jessica stepped back in shock at the quick change in moods, while Yangus, Harry and Dante exchange knowing looks and smirks, used to King Trode's behavior by now.

"Magnificent!" He squealed. "What a dutiful maid, worrying about her master so! I am impressed!" He praised the woman. "A faithful retainer like her is a most precious treasure to a king. And you say she's about the same age as my dear Medea?" He gestured to Medea, who seemed quite bored.

"Very well!" Trode acknowledged Dante's request. "Now, this is an order! I want you to help this maid with her request!"

"That's good. I was hoping you wouldn't mind the delay." Dante sounded relieved.

"Well, if you get onto it quickly, it won't be a problem, will it!?" Trode argued.

Jessica 'hmm'-ed and had a calculating look on her face.

"Something the matter?" Harry asked softly.

"This is a hunch. Call it women's intuition, but-"

"Hmph!? What are you blithering on about, girl?" King Trode cut in.

She glared. "There's no way a girl's going to be that dedicated for no reason. Not a chance!"

"Whatever are you talking about!?" Trode seemed confused.

"Oh, please! Can't you just be quiet and let me speak!?" She asked, and Trode sputtered. He did not respond.

Satisfied with his silence, she turned to the group.

"Maybe she really is that selfless." She guessed. "It doesn't really matter."

"In any case." Angelo changed the subject. "Reaching Emma's grandmother's place at night will be tricky. Monsters are known to be more ferocious during the night time."

"Oh, I've already got that covered." Dante said. "I'll just _Zoom _us there." He turned to Harry. "This is your chance to see it in action. I'll have you try the spell on the return trip on your own."

"I would like to learn this spell as well." Jessica requested.

"Sure." Dante easily said, before looking to Angelo and Yangus.

"Already know it." Was Angelo's response.

"I'm not too good at spells meself, guv. I'd best sit this one out."

"All right. You just stand next to me, and I'll explain how I use the spell, before I actually cast it." He ordered the group, and they all complied.

"You have to picture your destination in mind, before focusing your energy into a shroud around you. The shroud allows you to go at high speeds, while protecting you from the elements at the same time." Dante explained patiently. "Then, you simply will yourself to fly there as fast as you can."

"What's to stop you from just using the spell to fly around aimlessly?" Jessica asked intelligently.

"Well, you'd deplete your reserves so fast it wouldn't even be funny. Floating idly takes an immense amount of energy, something we are not capable of, yet."

"Oh."

"Any more questions?" He asked, and both Harry and Jessica shook their heads.

"All right then. _Zoom_!"

As Dante had explained it, his power flowed out of his body, shrouding the entire group with his energy. The energy began to flare as they slowly lifted off the ground. Suddenly, they blasted off into the sky at speeds far exceeding that of his Firebolt.

"Woah!" Harry exclaimed and looked down, watching the landscape fly by, before noticing a familiar looking house by a bridge. They were already there?

For a moment, Harry thought they were going to crash into the ground, as did Jessica, if her startled yell was anything to go by. However, they stopped jarringly just before they hit the ground, and Dante's shroud deposited them gently in front of the old woman's front door.

"Apologies." Dante winced. "My landings are usually pretty comfortable. I'm not very used to making entire groups travel."

"That's quite all right, my boy." Trode said. Medea gave a delighted whinny.

"It was _wicked_." Harry breathed, a gigantic grin spread across his face. Jessica nodded fervently.

"Speak fer yerself." Yangus seemed a bit queasy. Everyone shared a laugh.

"All right then." Dante said and turned to the door, knocking gently.

"Hopefully she's awake." Angelo whispered.

A click was heard, and sure enough, the door opened, revealing the old woman— 'Emma's grandmother', Harry corrected himself.

"Hello again, travelers. What brings you here at this time of night?" She ushered them inside.

They all sat down by the fire. She gave them an apologetic look.

"I'm afraid I have no food to serve this time. My apologies." She said.

"That's quite all right." Dante replied easily. "We're actually here because of Emma."

"Oh, dear." The woman looked worried. "Is she all right?"

"Oh, no, no, no. She's fine." Dante said quickly and explained the situation.

"Oh, all right." She said. "I'm getting on a bit now, you see. So I know all the old Ascantha folktales."

"Let's see..." She had a thoughtful look on her face. "An old story about making wishes come true? That must be the story of that strange hill upstream of here."

"It is said." She continued. "That if you go there on the night of a full moon and wait quietly all night, a door to another world will open."

'A door to another world?' Harry latched on to those words. Maybe he could go home, after all this time. They must be going spare without him. Guilt flooded through his veins at these thoughts.

'_You think it's real?_' Bob asked.

'I don't know.' Harry answered, but another thought formed in his head. If it was real, would he really want to go? His heart lurched painfully, making him squirm uncomfortably. It took Dante a single glance to realize what was going on in his head at that moment. So he put his hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed in a show of support to which Harry nodded gratefully. The exchange went mostly unnoticed by all except Jessica and Yangus. The former had a confused expression on her face which turned to an understanding one, and the latter gave a knowing look.

Did Jessica already know? He didn't remember telling her.

"It's probably just a silly old fairy tale, though." The old woman said, heedless. "I'm afraid I can't tell you whether it's true or not. You'd have to go there yourselves to see."

"We will." Dante promised, smiling. "Thank you for the help. We really appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it, my dear boy. Safe travels."

And with that, they were outside. Dante wasted no time, and told him of the folktale they'd just heard.

"I had no idea such a mysterious place existed just south of Ascantha!" Trode said, amazed. "Intriguing! Right! Time to climb up to the top and see what's there."

"I am curious to know what's there as well." Angelo said, and everyone gave him a queer look.

"I know, I know." He said. "I'm the one who was skeptical. But everything just seems to be in our favor right now. What're the odds that the moon," He pointed at the full moon. "Is full, the same time we hear of this supposed fairy tale?"

"The timing is rather suspicious." King Trode agreed.

"It dun matter much to me, but I do love a spot o' mountain-climbin'!" Yangus said with a grin. "C'mon, guv! Let's give it a try! Them mountain monsters'll be no match for us! You an' me an' 'Arry, we're unstoppable!"

He laughed. "This is wot bein' mates is all about! We'll strike while the iron's 'ot an' fight our way to the top!"

"Maybe it's a doorway to home." Harry said to himself, a bit too loudly.

"Home?" Angelo said, and Harry looked startled for a moment. Jessica was giving him a sympathetic look.

"It's all right, Harry." Jessica hugged him, letting him breathe in her scent. "Dante told me during your exorcism."

"I'll have to thank him." He murmured and uncertainly hugged her back, pulling her close to him. The embrace lasted for a few moments before Dante cleared his throat. The two disengaged, embarrassed.

"Sorry." They both said simultaneously, and smiled shyly at each other.

"Suffice to say, Angelo." Dante started. "Harry is not from this dimension."

"Indeed?" Angelo replied. "I did not know such a thing was even possible."

"That's me." Harry said. "The impossible is my bit- my plaything." He corrected at Jessica's sharp look.

Angelo merely gave a smirk in reply.

"We don't even know if the tale is true or not. So I wouldn't worry too much about the details." Angelo said.

"For now, let's just go find the spot." Dante ordered, and the group began their journey.

They followed the river upstream for a while, chatting amongst each other. Jessica had held Harry's hand all of the way, giving him a meaningful look. They stayed that way until the ground became rockier and more treacherous, forcing them to disengage, lest they lose their balance and needless injure themselves. After asking King Trode and Medea to wait for them there, the group continued to make their way up, watching their step carefully. They forged onward, fighting off a few hungry wolves that crossed their path, but they were otherwise safe from most monsters.

They continued in this fashion for the better part of an hour, until they reached the very top of the tall hill.

One by one, they took deep breaths, and examined their surroundings. In front of them, stood the remains of what seemed to be a large house. Rubble littered the floor. Part of a wall remained, with a window somehow still standing on the opposite side of it.

"Interesting place." Dante said.

"I'm surprised that window's still standing. You'd think a simple breeze would topple it over." Harry gave the window a close look. The moon shone upon it, casting a long looking shadow onto the ground. The shadow seemed to be inching closer and closer to the wall opposite of it.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" King Trode asked.

"Can you sense that?" Jessica suddenly said. "I sense magic! Powerful magic! It's coming from the mountain and the full moon. Look at that wall over there. And the shape of the window... Something's going to happen there. I can feel it."

"I think it'll begin when the window's shadow hits that wall." Harry agreed, pointing at the ever growing shadow, also feeling the magical power in the air.

"How do you know?" Dante questioned curiously.

"Don't ask me how I know. I just do." Jessica answered unhelpfully. "We'd better stay here and wait. We can't possibly leave now." She ordered.

And so, the wait began. Yangus had the foresight to bring some food from the cart with him, and shared it with the rest of the group, who sat down unceremoniously and ate their food at a slow pace. If the shadow's moving speed was anything to go by, Harry guessed it would take at least ten to twenty minutes to reach that wall.

His guess proved accurate, as he felt a shift in the air when the shadow touched upon the wall opposite of the window. The group's attention converged at the now glowing wall.

"It weren't doin' tha' before." Yangus commented.

"This is it." Dante said, almost disbelievingly. He approached the wall. A bright slit shone through the middle of the shadow, and the wall opened up like a door, the light beyond enveloping them.

And suddenly, they were no longer on the peak of the hill. Instead, they were standing on a platform above what seemed to be a lake. Water fell from unknown places, making Harry look up. He gasped.

The others looked up as well, a look of shock on their faces. There were not one, but ten different moons in the sky. The moon were shown in various states, from full to half full, to crescent and so on.

Then, Harry noticed the building a few platforms away from them. It looked to be a house. Its walls seemed to be made of the night sky itself, not showing what is beyond. It reminded him of the Great Hall's ceiling.

"What the hell?" Harry said.

'_This place is worthy of Luna's imagination_.' Bob quipped, and Harry had to agree.

"Is this real?" Jessica's eyes were wide. "Or is it a dream? I feel like I'm a fairy tale. This is simply amazing!"

Yangus was surprisingly nonplussed. "Better just to close yer eyes an' pretend you ain't seen nuffin' when ya get an eyeful o' stuff ya dunno wot to do wiv." He wisely said, making Harry look at him in a different light.

"Just like when yer caught on the job. Deny ev'ryfin'!" Yangus grinned, and Harry shook his head. Same old Yangus.

"...Well." Angelo had a strange look on his face, as he took in his surroundings. "Being kicked out of the abbey has proven to be a passport to some pretty strange experiences."

"I'll say." Dante agreed, and the group made their way across the platforms to the house. Feeling sheepish, Dante opened the door, and they all went inside.

Harry looked around. The inside of the house, looked much bigger than the outside. Many musical instruments lined the walls, from simple drums, to melodious looking harps and trumpets.

Light from an unknown source shone through the massive skylight above them. If he didn't already know they were in another world, Harry would've assumed they were deep underwater, from the shape the light took.

"I am Ishmahri, keeper of the Moonshadow Land." A voice made itself known, making the others look to the source.

A man stood before them. He wore a long, flowing blue robe, tied to his waist with an orange sash. In his arms was a beautiful looking, silver harp. He wore a circlet on his head. His blue hair was slicked back, and it reached well below his waist.

'_Not a man_. _Look at his ears!_' Bob almost shouted. Elf ears.

"An elf!?" Harry asked in shock. "But those have been extinct for centuries."

Ishmahri gazed at him curiously.

"What is a wizard of Britain doing all the way out here? No matter. Welcome to my realm." He welcomed them, with open arms.

The group warily made their way to the elf Ishmahri.

"Many moons have waxed and waned since human foot last trod this earth..." Ishmahri said regally. "Weary travelers, I welcome you now to the Land of the Moonshadow."

He gazed at them with piercing eyes. "Enlighten me, what desire opened the Moonshadow Window on this night? No words... Your shoes can tell the tale."

"Our shoes?" Harry asked incredulously.

The elf did not answer, and simply ran his hands over the strings of his harp, giving off a melodious sound. A tendril of light emanated from the instrument, before attaching itself to Dante's boots, and returned to Ishmahri. He closed his eyes in contemplation.

"...So, Pavan longs to be reunited with his dearly beloved, Sasha." He said, shocking them with his knowledge.

"You stand amazed." He noted curiously. "Mouths agape in wonderment." He looked at them for a moment. "Ah, forgive me. I have yet to uncloud your eyes."

"Children of the light of day... Do you believe that memories are yours alone?" Ishmahri asked.

"What?" Harry sounded shocked. How could his memories not be his?

"Your clothes, houses, tables and chairs..." He explained patiently. "The sky, the land... They too remember each passing day. Silently, they sleep in a dream world of memories."

He forged on. "The moon's light may give shape to these dreams... These memories."

"Can you help us reunite with his late wife?" Dante implored.

"...I cannot stir this daughter of the sun from her eternal sleep." He frowned. "But perhaps I can end your friend's waking nightmare."

He wore a look of determination.

"Lead me to the castle." He ordered. "Lead me to the scene of Pavan's misery."

**oooooooooo**

They were back outside on the peak of the hill.

"So ordinary things like clothes and houses have memories? They have dreams?" Jessica asked wondrously. "Does that explain the vision I had in the Tower of Alexandria?"

She stood on Harry's right, while the elf Ishmahri floated on his left. The elf gave her a long look.

"You are... Alistair's brother?" He concluded, and smiled at her look of shock and slight hurt. "Do not grieve for your brother any long, child. He among the stars now."

She gave a small nod, and went silent.

"And you, young wizard." Ishmahri regarded Harry curiously. "What brings you to this realm?"

"I..." Harry struggled to find words. "I don't know. I was brought here by a mirror. I'm trying to find my way back."

"I see." Ishmahri 'hmm'-ed thoughtfully.

"Do you know," Harry began carefully, some hope glittering in his eyes. "Of any ways to return? Perhaps you could do it yourself?"

"Alas, that power rests with the God bird Empyrea, who has disappeared an age long past." Ishmahri smiled sadly at the hopeful looking young man.

"I see." Harry tried not to sound downtrodden. "Thank you, regardless." He turned to Dante.

"Come on, Dante." He sighed. "Let's just go."

"All right, Harry." Dante said, and gripped Harry's shoulder. "We'll find a way. I promise."

At that, Harry grinned. "I know. Thanks."

"Always. You'll always be my friend."

"..." Harry looked away, not understanding the feeling of elation in him.

"Well said, guv!" Yangus agreed with a grin, and slapped Harry on the back, bowling him over. He fell on his face, and everyone laughed at his expense. Yangus helped Harry back up, and dusted him off.

"All right. I'll _Zoom_ us to King Trode and Princess Medea, and then back to the top of the Castle." Dante ordered. "While Harry and Jessica practice their _Zoom_."

"All right." Jessica agreed.

"Do you not know how to Apparate, child?" Ishmahri asked the Boy Who Lived curiously.

"Oh, I can." Harry said. "But I'm learning this spell, and it is much more agreeable to me than Apparition." He admitted.

The elf gave him a nod, and joined Dante, Yangus and Angelo. They were enveloped by Dante's blue shroud, and flew off in the direction of Trode and Medea, leaving Harry and Jessica alone in the clearing.

Harry suddenly felt awkward and guilty.

"I-" He began, but Jessica merely put a finger on his lips, silencing him.

"Shush. I understand." She gazed into his eyes with a bit of longing and frustration. "I don't have to like it, but I understand." She then crushed him with another hug.

'_Two in one night? She must be really into you._' Bob quipped, but Harry paid him no heed.

"Thank you." Harry said thickly, burying his face into her neck. They stayed that way for a few moments, before leaning back, and staring at each other's eyes. Harry gulped, and nervously glanced at her lips. She noticed the look, and closed in, brushing her lips against his briefly. Warmth and coldness spread through his body at the same time as their lips touched. It was something he'd never experienced before. The kiss he shared with Cho paled in comparison to what he was going through right now.

They both pulled back, not really wanting to. He ended the hug, smiling at her, a crimson blush on his face.

"We should go to the Castle." Harry said, disappointed that the moment couldn't last.

"We should..." She agreed, a hint of frustration in her voice.

"But." She added. "We will be doing this again." She smiled at the stupid grin on Harry's face, and winked, before turning to the direction of Ascantha Castle. She concentrated.

"_Zoom_!" Just like Dante, Jessica was enshrouded in energy, and blasted off.

"My turn." Harry murmured, tracing his finger over his lips, before shaking his head. "Concentrate, Potter."

He pictured the top of the castle in his mind, and imagined himself covered with the shroud of energy, like Dante had said.

"_Zoom_!_" _Harry incanted, and blasted off at an incredible speed. Like before, he flew over the landscape until he reached the familiar looking Castle, and landed, in front of the King's Chambers, where the rest of the group were waiting.

"I was starting to wonder if something happened to you." Dante said. "Took you long enough." He turned to Ishmahri. "So what will you do?"

"Upon this night," The elf began. "By the light of the full moon, I shall play a tune to salve the King's wounded soul. Lead me to him."

"He should be in the throne room." Dante said, and led the group downstairs, leaving Medea at the top of the castle, since she couldn't follow them inside.

The King was still leaning on his throne, crying silently, until he heard the sound of their footsteps. He turned.

Ishmahri played a tune on his harp. "Oh, grieving soul. May the moon's rays trace the scenes enacted here long ago..." He began playing his harp.

Suddenly, images of the late Queen appeared around the King. She was dressed in a yellow and pink gown. She wore beautiful, yet not overly extravagant, jewelry.

King Pavan looked shocked.

"...What is this?" He asked softly. "A dream? An Illusion? No..." He shook his head. "No... I remember this. You..." He extended his hand to touch her, but it went right through the woman. She disappeared, making his eyes widen with despair.

"What is wrong?" Her voice rang out behind him. He turned quickly, and saw her standing before him. She smiled at him, her beautiful blue eyes glittering.

He inched closer. "...Sasha! I've missed you so! These two years, I've thought of nothing but you. Ever since you passed away..."

"You're not still fretting about this morning's missive, are you?" Queen Sasha answered. "You mustn't. You made the right decision." She half turned away from him. "You're always so lenient with people. But sometimes you need to be firm too. That's a king's duty."

"Everybody believes in you. You must stand tall and proud. Ascantha is _your_ country." She walked away, disappearing. He took a few steps forward, attempting to follow, but her voice rang elsewhere now.

"Oh yes! I have news! The innkeeper's dog has had a puppy." She said from behind him. "He wants us to think of a name!"

He turned to see himself on the throne, with Sasha standing next to him, looking down on him lovingly.

"Is that... me?" King Pavan asked, eyes wide. "Yes, I remember this. It was the spring before last. So this is a memory from the past?"

"A puppy, you say?" The memory version of the King asked. "...What do you think? No doubt you've already thought of a good name for it!"

Queen Sasha giggled. "It's a secret."

"Why?" Memory Pavan frowned. "If you've thought of a name, then I'm sure it's splendid. Tell me!" He smiled.

"Surely you have a suggestion too? A name for this puppy?" Sasha forged onwards, eager to hear his opinion.

"But I'm sure yours-"

She caressed his face, silencing him. "Shush, now, Pavan. I think any name you came up with would be simply perfect."

"My dear King." She gazed at him lovingly. "You're a wise and kind man. You should follow your own instincts."

She laughed. "I was planning to use the name you thought of. That's all I'd decided."

The two images disappeared, and King Pavan sat on the throne, his head in his hands.

"...Ah, yes. She was always like that, always giving me so much encouragement." He looked up, as tears streamed down his face. "Sasha... Why...?"

"...Sasha." Memory Pavan's voice rang out. "Why are you always so strong?"

The images of Pavan and Sasha appeared in front of the throne. Memory Pavan stood by his Queen, who had her hands over her cest.

"Because my mother gives me strength." Queen Sasha replied.

"Your mother? But she passed away years ago..." Memory Pavan said.

"I never told you, but I was very timid as a child, so weak and afraid." Sasha admitted. "And every day, my mother would try hard to encourage me." She had a serene smile on her face. "When she died, I was so sad and lonely... But then I realized, if I went back to my old weak self, I would have nothing left of my mother at all. It would be just as if she had never existed."

King Pavan got up and took a step forward.

"I realized I had to be strong." Queen Sasha continued heedless of his approach. "That I must remember her words of encouragement, and everything she taught me. That way, she'll live on inside me for always. Forever..."

"Sasha." King Pavan called out, his hands going through his memory self's body. "You're right... I should be more like you."

Sasha's image walked over to the stairs, leading up to the top of the castle.

"Shall we go out onto the terrace? The weather's so nice today." Sasha said. "It would be lovely to enjoy the breeze together. He followed her to the stairs, and to her extended arm, his form perfectly overlapping with that of his memory self. He took her hand, and she led him upstairs.

The group followed them, and saw the two looking out into the horizon. It was morning.

"Look!" Queen Sasha said. "Your country stretches before us as far as the eye can see! Oh! Ascantha is so beautiful."

"...Yes." King Pavan said, a small smile forming on his face. "Beautiful, Sasha... So beautiful."

She looked at him suddenly. "My darling King. For people to live their lives happily... You must be strong."

He looked startled for a moment, realizing this was no longer the memory of his wife, but his wife herself, reaching out to him. He attempted to embrace her, but she disappeared when the sun shone on her.

King Pavan fell to his knees and crossed his arms over his heart.

"...I remember. Everything you ever told me lives on inside my heart." He suppressed his sobs. "...I've finally opened my eyes. I'm sorry for being so sad and lonely."

He composed himself, and stood up.

"...At last," King Pavan wiped at his eyes. "I've finally awoken from my long and terrible nightmare."

He turned and called out in a strong voice. "Guards!"

A few guards rushed onto the terrace.

"How may we serve you, Your Majesty?" One asked.

He smiled at them. "Remove the mourning banners from the castle walls." He ordered, and their faces lit up. "It is time to look to the future."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

**oooooooooo**

Well that's Chapter 13!

Hope you like it. Don't forget to review!


	15. Home of Impropriety, Crime and Vulgarity

**Answering some reviews.**

**Zeromaru Chaos Mode:** I know what you mean about not getting the groove. I used to have an old Potter fanfic that I removed after deeming it to be utter shit. The concept was good, but the delivery was abysmal.

**I.C.2014:** Surprised I saw your name! I've read your story "Dragon Quest 8: No Title". I gave Eight the name Dante instead, because I figured having a number for a name would be a bit odd. Wouldn't you agree?

Thank you all for your continued support! You make me happy, knowing that people actually enjoy reading this.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 14: Home of Impropriety, Crime and Vulgarity  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

The next day found Harry and his friends sitting in the King's dining room, helping themselves to the food King Pavan had provided them. Shortly after recovering from his sadness, King Pavan had his servants remove the dark banners signifying their mourning, and ordered them to put in the regular ones. He held a quick meeting with his people, apologizing for his irresponsible behavior over the past few years, and promised to make it up to them.

Back to the present...

"Never again will I forget things Sasha told me." King Pavan said as Yangus stuffed his face, making Dante, who was sitting right next to him, suppress an amused grin. Angelo was seated opposite of Yangus, enjoying a glass of wine. Harry and Jessica were seated next to him, looking at Pavan as he spoke.

The King in question opened his arms out grandly.

"It felt like a dream," He said. "But I believe in what I saw. Thank you. Thank you so much..."

"It was the right thing to do." Harry waved his thanks off, his actions mirrored by Jessica and Dante.

"Now I can be a proper king to my people again. If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask." King Pavan ignored their attempts at being humble.

Dante, Harry and Jessica glanced at each other to see who would make the request. Dante gave a nod, signifying that he would do it.

"We are actually after a man named Dhoulmagus." Dante went straight to the point. "He's dressed as a jester, and carries a scepter around."

"A jester called Dhoulmagus?" King Pavan closed his eyes for a few moments. "I'm afraid I haven't heard talk of anyone like that passing through Ascantha."

"I figured as much." Dante sighed. "Thanks anyway."

"I'm sorry." The King apologized, but Dante waved it off, before sitting back down next to Yangus.

"Eh!" Yangus said after taking a bite out of a chicken thigh. "Where'd that Itchy-Marie bloke disappear to!? Feels like it was all some kinda weird dream, dunnit?"

"I don't actually know where he went." Harry admitted across the table. "In all the hustle and bustle of the castle staff, I suppose he left." He guessed sheepishly.

"Bit rude of him to leave without saying goodbye." Angelo said and took another sip from his wine glass.

'_It doesn't really matter. He said he couldn't even help us._' Bob said. '_Some bloody bird is supposed to do it for us._'

"Well, there's nothing that can be done about it, in any case." Dante said, and returned to eating.

"Are you going to eat that?" Dante pointed at some steaks sitting in front of Yangus, who shook his head and handed him the place.

"Knock yerself out, guv."

**oooooooooo**

Around an hour later, the group bade the King goodbye, requesting that he contact them if Dhoulmagus ever turned up. King Pavan had graciously agreed.

"We didn't really get what we came for," Dante said. "But we did some good here. Be proud of that." He looked at his friends with pride as they walked through Ascantha Castle in search of the exit.

"I feel like I've been dreaming ever since last night." Jessica admitted. "I'm happy for King Pavan, anyway. He seems to be cheering up again. And he had a chance to see his beloved Queen one last time." Her eyes softened. "You know, I'd really like to see Alistair again, too."

"But not right now." She said after hesitating for a moment. "Not yet. I'd probably just break down and cry and mess everything up. Once I take care of Dhoulmagus, I'll be able to meet Alistair with a smile on my face."

"We." Harry corrected.

She gave him a quizzical look.

"After _we_ take care of Dhoulmagus." He smiled at her and took her hand. She smiled back.

"Right."

"I'll second that." Dante said.

"I will say," Angelo cut in, an easy smile on his face. "Queen Sasha was well worth lamenting for twenty years, let alone two. And far too good for that drip, Pavan."

'_Looks like old Angelo doesn't like the King much_.' Bob commented idly.

Angelo made an over the top disappointed sigh. "If only I'd come here a couple years earlier, I'd have been able to... 'make her acquaintance' in the flesh. What a waste!"

Jessica rolled her eyes at his antics.

"I am most certainly glad that he gave the lovely Emma some time off." Angelo added. "She deserves that much."

"Yeah." Harry agreed.

They reached the steps leading outside the castle, and exited it. King Trode and Medea were waiting for them. He looked at them with some annoyance.

"Well it's all right for some, isn't it!?" He said, sounding downright miserable. "No doubt King Pavan treated you to plenty of fine food and drink! You lucky toads!"

"The Princess and I have been waiting, you know! Stuck here outside of town!" King Trode wailed dramatically. "And Medea isn't much for conversation these days, hm!"

Said princess in question gave him a soft kick that sent him bowling over. Harry laughed, and dug into his backpack, pulling out various fruit.

"I figured you'd be hungry, so I took these from the table." Harry said as he gave them to Trode. "Be sure to give some to Medea!"

"..Thank you, my boy." Trode looked grateful.

"I know 'ow ya feel, grandad." Yangus said with a grin. "If only you weren't so... green, eh? Maybe we could get ya into town and you could 'ave a drink or somefin'."

"I ain't exactly a looker meself." He admitted, the grin never leaving his face. "I know wot it's like to be discrimated against."

"Discriminated." Dante coughed.

Yangus turned to Dante suddenly.

"...Oy, guv!" He began. "I've got an idea. The town I used to live in ain't too far south of 'ere. How about we 'ead off down there, eh?" He suggested.

"Sure, Pickham ain't no rose garden, but it's in the middle o' nowhere, right. Even a strange old geezer like 'im would fit in no problem." He reasoned, pointing at Trode, who was feeding Medea some grapes.

"You sure?" Dante asked.

"Old grandad 'ere will be able to get 'imself a drink! _And_ we might get a clue about where that Dhoulmagus 'as got to an' all." Yangus continued. "There's a bloke there who knows ev'ryfin' about ev'ryfin'. We call 'im Brains. He's a mate o' mine. He'll know somefin'!"

"It definitely sounds like the best chance we have at getting word from Dhoulmagus right now." Harry said. "Plus, King Trode does look pretty miserable all the time."

"See," Yangus said. "Two birds wiv one stone! I ain't just a pretty face. Come on! Let's get goin!"

"Which way?" Dante asked.

"It's south of 'ere. We pass through the forests on the east coastline o' the continent." Yangus said, face scrunched up in thought.

"We'd best be moving, then!" King Trode said as he got on the carriage tied to Medea.

And so, their journey resumed, with a new destination in mind; the town of Pickham.

**oooooooooo**

"So what can you tell us about this place?" Jessica asked as they marched through the forests south of Ascantha Castle.

"Well..." Yangus answered. "People say me old town o' Pickham's full o' crooks and the like, but it's actually not a bad place really. I bet it's the only town in the world a funny-lookin' character like the old codger could walk 'round in wivout gettin' no grief."

"Who are you calling 'funny-looking'!?" Trode seethed. "...And do you really think it's safe?"

"No probs!" Yangus shook his fist, his trademark grin in place. "You worry too much, grandad!"

Trode just grumbled.

"It's odd seeing King Trode looking so sullen." Jessica whispered to Harry. "He's usually so full of beans and everything. I guess he must be starting to feel the pressure. Hopefully going to that town might cheer him up a bit."

"I had been starting to wonder whether King Trode really is a king, but that little display has taken care of any doubts." Angelo said. "That kind of self-centeredness smacks of royalty, that's for sure."

He shared a grin with Dante, at that.

"That is entirely false!" Trode said, but didn't get to say anything else, as they were suddenly surrounded by bandits.

Being the closest to Trode and Medea, Harry and Jessica stood on either side of them, ready for anything. Harry unsheathed his sword and steeled himself for what is to come.

"Now, now." A cool voice rang out, and the bandits parted to show the leader walking towards them. "Let's calm down. There's no need for blood to be shed."

"All you need to do," The man continued with a vicious grin. "Is give us all the gold you have. And we'll let you go."

"Just like that?" Harry asked skeptically.

"Yes, we will. You have my word." The man said.

"A decent offer." Dante retorted with a superior smirk. "How about... No?"

The bandit leader scowled, most likely expecting this.

"Have it your way. Boys, get them." He ordered, and all hell broke loose. Arrows flew, but were dodged rather easily. The ones sent in Trode and Medea's direction were blocked.

Dante, Yangus and Angelo wasted no time, by diving into the fray, swords and scythes flashing dangerously as they slashed and cleaved through the offending bandits, making their initial cries of battle turn into cries of pain and fear.

Harry spotted a flash of steel to his right. One of the bandits had snuck by them to steal what was in their carriage.

"Not on my watch." Harry murmured before confronting the bandit, who did not seem to notice his presence. A quick strike to the back of the bandit's neck with the pommel of his sword, and Harry got himself an unconscious bandit, who fell unceremoniously to the floor. Harry went back to his spot to guard Trode and Medea.

Meanwhile with Dante, Angelo and Yangus...

"Come on, you bastards! Kill them!" One of them yelled as he struggled against Dante's relentless attacks. He yelled in pain as Dante finally got through his guard, landing a deep cut into his shoulder. The bandit grasped his shoulder in pain, and began to back away. Dante paid him no heed, and turned his back to look for the next opponent.

"Big mistake!" The bandit cried out triumphantly and rushed at the young man with a bloodthirsty grin. Dante turned quickly enough to see the sword swinging straight at him.

*BOOM*

A fireball landed on the bandit and exploded in a shower of brilliance, sending the traitorous scum flying. Dante looked at the source and saw a smirking Jessica, her hand extended in his direction. He gave a grateful nod, before rejoining the battle with Yangus and Angelo, who were fighting off yellow furred ape-like creatures carrying large wooden bats.

"What the hell are these?" Dante asked quickly, before jumping over one of the apes' strikes. He brought his sword down on it, cleaving its arm off. Its eyes rolled back into its head, and it fell back, unconscious.

Yangus smashed one in the face with his head. "We call 'em Gorerillas!" Yangus explained as he ran towards the dazed ape and cut off its head with a swing of his deadly scythe. "Many o' the bandits use 'em as labor and for ambushin' folks." He explained and took a small breather.

"They weren't so tough." Angelo said, a smirk on his face as he stood next to the Gorerilla he had felled.

All three turned to the bandits, who had looks of fear on their face now.

"Where were we?"

It took a few more minutes, and a lot of fighting, but the three managed to send the bandits away, their tails between their legs.

"We won't forget this!"

"We'll be back, and you'll regret ever leaving us alive!"

"Yeah, yeah." Yangus taunted the retreating forms, and the three allies went back to the rest of the group.

"Are you all right?" Dante asked them with concern. Harry gave a nod.

"Yes, we only had to deal with one bandit that got through." Harry reported. "He tried sneaking by us and into the back of the carriage, but I set him straight. One other bandit did come, but he took his ally and ran off, so I didn't bother giving chase."

"Sounds 'bout right." Yangus nodded wisely. "Keep the defenders' attention an' get a man to sneak in from be'ind."

"That's what I thought, as well." Jessica agreed.

"We'll take a few moments to rest up, and then we'll keep moving." Dante ordered. "I don't know if they'll come back, but I'd rather not be in the same place if they do."

"Sounds good."

It only took a few minutes before the ragtag group of friends resumed their course. They walked through the thick forest that had no end in sight. The day had passed by them pretty quickly, and they were beginning to get tired, the stand-off against the bandits doing them no favors.

"We need to find a good place to camp." Dante said, looking around.

"I thought I saw a small clearing to the right." Harry suggested. "I'm not sure, though."

"I saw it, too." Jessica agreed.

"All right, then. Let's go."

It took a little while, but they reached the clearing Harry spoke of. It was smack dab in the middle of the forest, meaning it was most likely man-made. Not that Harry had any problem with that; he was glad he didn't have to do it himself. Dante excused himself to gather some fire wood, while Yangus and Angelo offered to see if they could hunt something down quickly, before the sun could set and plunge them into the darkness of the night. Meanwhile, Harry and Jessica set up the tents.

Soon enough, Dante came back with the fire wood, and, with a quick spell thanks to Jessica, they had a fire going. Some time later, Yangus and Angelo had shown up with a deer and a few rabbits.

"Nice catch." King Trode praised, before he began his work at making a stew.

The wait for dinner proved itself worthwhile. They sat down by the fire to eat, exchanging small talk, mainly enjoying each other's company. Dante, Yangus, Angelo, Trode and Medea chatted amongst each other, with Medea only answering yes or no questions since she couldn't speak, while Harry and Jessica cuddled next to the fire, kissing and talking softly to each other.

The two stayed that way for most of the night, and when it was time to sleep, they —regretfully— disengaged from each other, and went to his/her respective tent.

**ooooooooo**

_Unknown location..._

"Ah, you're back." Dhoulmagus' voice rang out.

"Yes, master." A man kneeled before him. His face was hidden in the shadows.

"Well?" Dhoulmagus sounded impatient.

"We did just as you said. But..." The man trailed off, fear seeping through his voice.

"So you failed."

"...Yes." The man admitted. "We ambushed them, but they were just too strong for us to handle!"

"I have no need for your excuses!" Dhoulmagus spat, and the man cowered pitifully.

"Leave."

The man scampered out of the room so quickly it was almost comical.

"King _Toad_ and his underlings are becoming bigger nuisances than I had anticipated..."

**oooooooooo**

A good night's rest seemed to be just what the doctor ordered, as the group moved through the forest at a pretty quick pace. Either that, or they were just sick of the place. Harry couldn't really blame them. Sounds came from everywhere in this forest, driving them insane with paranoia. Plus the bug bites were a bitch to endure.

'_Remind me to kill Yangus for ever suggesting we go to Pickham._' Bob whined, and Harry nodded in agreement.

"Ah, there it is!" Yangus exclaimed in triumph.

"There is what?" Dante asked.

"Look, guv!" He pointed ahead of him. "See? We reached the dirt path. This 'ere leads to Pickham!"

True enough, the dirt path was there. Better yet, it lead outside of the forest.

"Oh, good." Angelo sighed with relief. "Any more of this forest, and I would have gone spare."

"Indeed." King Trode concurred.

They followed the dirt path outside of the forest, and further south, passing by what seemed to be an abandoned building. Curious, they approached it, and Dante tried to pry open the door.

It didn't even budge.

"Locked." Dante murmured. "But who would live here?"

Someone cleared his throat above them, making them look up in surprise.

A man stood on the roof of the edifice. He wore a ridiculous outfit, consisting of conflicting colors of bright green and red, with a white scarf wrapped around his neck, twisting and turning with the wind. The outfit was ruined by his balding head, and the outfit revealing too much of his chest.

'He looks like one of those ridiculous superheroes.' Harry instantly thought, and heard Bob snort in his mind.

"Ah, you come to see me!" The man said in an Italian accent, of all things.

"Come, speak! I listen!" He beckoned them upwards, pointing at the side stairs.

Once up there, the ridiculous fellow began to speak.

"Allow me to introduce myself!" He said excitedly. "I am Morrie! Here I borrow my ears to the wind."

He turned away from them, and went silent. The group exchanged amused glances at this man's batty behavior. Dante went to approach him.

"I hear it on the wind." Morrie said before Dante could say anything. "There is someone magnifico come here soon." He said with his bad English.

"What?" Harry asked, confused at this man's words. Someone was coming? Who?

Morrie suddenly turned, and pointed at Dante and his friends.

"So, ragazzo! You are a traveler, si?" He asked.

"Um... Yes, we are." Dante answered, looking lost. Morrie looked delighted.

"Then I ask you one favore! Here, take these." Morrie handed Dante three sheets of paper.

"What are these?" Dante looked at them for a moment, and then back at Morrie.

"When we have finished talking, you take the look at these memos, ay!" Morrie said. "Each one has written on the informazione of the notorious monsters."

"Find them! Fight them! Send them to me!" Morrie's scarf fluttered in the wind, giving him a comical appearance. "For you, it will be a slice of cake! I can see it in your eyes."

Dante pocketed the memos, and beckoned his friends to leave with no other word. They reached the dirt path, and resumed their journey.

"By the Goddess, that man was insane." Angelo finally said.

"What was on the papers he gave you, anyway?" Jessica asked curiously. Dante shrugged, and took the papers out. It was a few crude drawings of monsters, stating a reward for capture or killing.

"He wants us to hunt monsters?" Harry asked curiously, looking over the papers in Jessica's hands.

"Apparently so."

"I suppose it would only be fair if we helped this man..." Trode said, but then added, "But only if we encounter these monsters in our journey. We've already delayed ourselves long enough."

"Understood." Dante answered, and they all went silent, content to walk along the path.

Eventually, after what seemed to be half an hour, they stood in front of the town of Pickham.

The buildings seemed in various states of disrepair, but the people ignored them completely. They did not even spare a glance at King Trode, let alone two.

"Well Yangus," Trode said appreciatively as they passed through the busy marketplace with no one stopping them. "At least you were right about something! No one here so much as bats an eyelid at me!"

"So..." King Trode continued, and looked at Dante. "The pub awaits! I'll go on ahead. I wouldn't want to get in your way. You go and find this Brains fellow. Medea and I will be waiting for your report!" He ordered and left with Medea.

"Waitin'?" Yangus sounded amused. "Boozin' more like!"

Harry chortled.

"Come on, guv, 'Arry! Let's forget about 'im an' 'ead over to Brains's. Some of us 'ave gotta keep our minds on the job, eh? We gotta find that Dhoumagus." Yangus said.

They walked around the town, taking in the sights.

"You know, Yangus." Harry addressed the man. "You've never told us much about your life before meeting Dante. I mean, other than you were a criminal." He said the last part hesitantly, but Yangus detected no actual malice from his friend.

"I was one 'ell of a thief back when I was livin' 'ere." Yangus said proudly. "A real top-class bandit. But I got fed up wiv all that criminal stuff, so I decided to wash me 'ands of it an' leave Pickham for good."

He looked around in wonder, most likely taking in the changes since his departure.

"Goddess, 'ow long's it been since I was last 'ere?" He wondered aloud. "It feels funny bein' back, I can tell ya!"

"This place is filthy." Angelo sniffed disdainfully. "Let's just find this information dealer, Brains, or whatever he's called, and bid farewell to this stench as quickly as we can."

Finding Brains was easier said than done, however. Pickham town was a veritable maze, and it was thanks to Yangus that they were not lost right now. A bulky, dark skinned man had threatened them to pay up to pass through the marketplace, but Yangus set him straight by kneeing him in the stomach, bowling him over easily.

They wandered through the stores, with Dante and Yangus eyeing some wicked looking swords, while Angelo looked bored. Harry had the misfortune of being dragged to the clothing store. His misfortune turned to fortune, however, as he was treated with Jessica trying out several outfits. When asked, he admitted he liked every single one she tried on. She grumbled something about men being utterly useless at fashion, and picked one set out of the five she tried. It was a dancer's costume, which consisted of a white tank top that reached just above her midriff, showing off her beautiful curves, and a long, red skirt.

They attempted to look for Brains once more, but it seemed every hiding place Yangus knew about was empty, or had the wrong person. They were currently about to try his home. Yangus led them onto the roof of a building, which was connected to several others by bridges. Yangus explained it was the only way to reach his place.

They finally got there, and Yangus knocked loudly on the door. When there was no answer, Yangus simply opened the door, looked around for a bit, and closed it.

"Well," He turned to Dante. "This is Brains's gaff, but it looks like 'e ain't 'ome. Oh well. We better get back to the pub an' ask the old codger wot 'e wants to do."

With that, they gave up looking, and decided to meet up with Trode at the bar he was currently at. Yangus led them through the streets quickly, and they reached the place in no time. Medea stood outside, looking bored. They greeted her with a smile, and went in the bar.

The place looked completely trashed. Broken bottles lay on the floor, which was littered with wine stains. Many tables and chairs were left overturned, and the walls were in disrepair.

King Trode sat on one of the stools, enjoying a mug of beer. They all sat around him.

"It never used to be this difficult to get a drink..." Trode sighed. "Another thing that wretched Dhoulmagus is responsible for! Confound him and confound this curse!"

"But it's Medea who's really suffering." King Trode's eyes teared up. "Turned into a horse just when she was bethrothed to be married..."

Dante had an uncomfortable look on his face that went unnoticed by everyone except Harry. He'd have to ask him about that, sometime.

"Oh!" King Trode took note of their presence. "You're back already! That was unduly expedient of you."

"So," He looked eager. "Have you found out where Dhoulmagus is?"

Before Dante could answer, Medea was heard whinnying, and the sounds of struggle ensued.

"What was that!?" Trode looked startled. "I thought I heard Medea..." He wasted no time and ran outside. The group exchanged looks, and followed the King.

Medea was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's my Medea!?" Trode looked around frantically for any sign. "She's gone!"

"...Uh-oh!" Yangus looked guilty. "Guess I shoulda known better. People round 'ere don't care where ya come FROM, they care about wot ya come WIV!"

"Are you saying some ninny-hammer crook from this slum has kidnapped my daughter!?" King Trode looked positively furious as he shook with a fiery rage.

"Oh, keep yer 'air on, grandad!" Yangus waved him off, a bit intimidated. "Whoever it was can't 'ave gone far... They'll still be in town somewhere."

"Well, we must find them then!" King Trode said, quickly changing from anger to frantic determination. "Forget everything else! Getting Medea back is all that matters!"

"You think... Dhoulmagus could be behind this?" Jessica wondered, a dark look on her face.

"None of that now." Harry whispered to her, glad that Trode hadn't overheard that little bit. "We don't want Trode to go off on a rampage."

"That would be bad."

"Yup."

"What are you waiting for!?" Trode sounded anxious. "Let's go, now!"

They left no stone overturned as they rampaged through the town, interrogating anyone and examining anything that looked suspicious. The townsfolk were hostile, and refused to speak, at first. But then, Yangus 'convinced' each and every one of them to share any pertinent information they had. The poor bloke was probably trying his best because he felt it was his fault that Medea got kidnapped.

All the rumors seemed to lead to a store room on the side of the town.

So they went there. They made no effort of sneaking in, seeing as the only occupant was busy sitting down and counting money he kept pulling out of a bag.

"950... 960... 970... 980... 990..." He counted with glee. "And that's one grand!"

"He knows 'is stuff, that ol' merchant!" The thief said to himself. "He could see 'ow much it was worth. Half-inchin' that 'orse was a piece of cake! Easy dosh, Mitts, eh! Easy dosh! He he heh!"

Dante cleared his throat, startling the man. He shot to his feet, attempted to run, but tripped and fell, smacking into the wall face first. He turned to look at them, his back against the wall.

Everyone glared fiercely at him.

"W-who're you!?" He asked quickly, before his eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, no!" He realized. "You ain't the owner o' that 'orse, is ya!?"

King Trode stepped forward, his glare much stronger than the rest.

"So it was you!" He accused. "You're the scoundrel responsible for taking the Princess!"

The thief shrank in fear at the sight.

"Wot the 'ell!? Get that monster away from me!" He almost screamed in fright. "Wot's it on about? Wot princess? I only knocked a horse!"

"Who are you calling a monster!?" Trode approached the thief menacingly. "Give my Medea back _right now_ or suffer the consequences!"

"Easy!" The thief begged and sank to his knees. "Take it easy! I swear! I didn't know! I didn't know it was no monster princess or nuffin'!"

He held the sack of gold forward in a panicked attempted to appease the King. "Here... 'ave it all! This is all the dough I got for it, I swear! Just don't 'urt me!"

If anything, Trode seemed more enraged. "What!? You _sold_ my daughter!? That's it!"

"Dante!" He barked and pointed at the thief. "Slay this worthless wastrel!"

'_Overreact much?_' Bob quipped with amusement. Harry did not laugh nor did he acknowledge the attempt at humor.

The tension in the air increased to dangerous levels, before Yangus unceremoniously picked King Trode up by his clothes.

"Hold yer 'orses, grandad!" Yangus began but winced. "Sorry. I mean, take it easy. This toerag ain't good enough for the guv's sword." He set the King aside, and turned to the thief, cracking his knuckles.

"Awright, you!" He growled out. "Let's 'ear it! Sell it down beggars' alley, did ya? To ol' Dodgy Dave, eh?"

"Y-Yeah, that's it!" The thief admitted, shaking with fright. "Know 'im, do ya?"

"Right then, 'and over the dough! If I find out you've been telling me porkies..." He warned. "You're brown bread, d'you 'ear?"

"Look." The thief pleaded. "I ain't been lying mister! I swear! Here..." He handed Yangus the sack of gold. "A thousand gold pieces! That's wot he gimme for it!"

Yangus snatched the sack from the man's shaking hands, and turned to his friends.

"No need to worry!" Yangus grinned. "The black market geezer 'e was talkin' bout is a mate o' mine. He'll give us back the 'orse-princess if we give 'im back the dough... I mean, money."

"Then why are we dallying around here!? We must go to this 'geezer's' shop immediately!" King Trode looked somewhat relieved at that. He was still very worried, though.

They exited the store room.

"So who is this bloke, anyway?" Harry asked.

"I used to do a fair bit o' business wiv 'im back in the old days." Yangus explained. "I never thought I'd be goin' back to 'is shop. Not for somefin' like this, that's for sure!"

"Not even a few minutes after being kidnapped, she was already sold in the black market?" Jessica shook her head. "I think I finally understand why they call this place the 'home of impropriety, crime and vulgarity!'"

Yangus grinned at that comment. He led them through the twists and turns of the treacherous town, until they reached another bar.

"This is no time to get a drink!" Yangus snapped.

Yangus paid him no heed, and went to speak to the bartender.

"We'd like to step to the back." Yangus went straight to business.

"Huh? You wanna go round back?" The bartender repeated. "Got some business to do, eh?" He gave them all a once over, and then opened up the side of the bar. "Be my guest!"

"There's just one rule." He said before they could enter through the door. "Ya can't go spreadin' it around that this pub's got connections with Dodgy Dave's black market tradin'."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem." Harry replied quickly, wanting to get this over with. He opened the door for them, and they entered.

The room was filled to the brim with treasure chests holding almost anything they could think of. Gold, weapons, armor, gems... Anything that was good in the black market would probably be in here.

A bulky man came into the room. He gave them a long look, and seemed to recognize Yangus.

"Well, well, if it ain't old Yangus!" The man exclaimed. "Ain't seen your mush round 'ere for a while. Got some knocked-off gear you wanna get rid of, 'ave ya?"

"Nah, mate!" Yangus grinned. "Washed me 'ands of all that. I'm travellin' round wiv the guv'ner 'ere now."

"But that's not why I'm 'ere." Yangus continued. "That legless old runt Mitts was in 'ere before, sellin' you an 'orse an' cartm weren't 'e? It's just that we need 'em back."

"They belong to the guv 'ere, see." He motioned at Dante. "Mitts only went an' 'alf-inched 'em! I gave 'im the squeeze, an' 'e said 'e sold 'em to you. That's why we're 'ere."

"You 'ad 'em pinched by Mitts!? You!?" The man looked positively shocked. "You must be goin' soft, Yangus! Getting stitched up by someone like 'im."

"Yeah," The bulky man confirmed. "'e _was_ 'ere sellin' the 'orse an' cart. I gave 'im a good price for 'em."

"So I did have 'em, but..." Dodgy Dave looked sheepish. "I dunno how to tell ya this... I sold 'em already."

Yangus looked startled while everyone else gaped. "Who to? We need 'em back, desperate like!"

"Well..." The guy looked even more sheepish than before. "I dunno 'ow to tell ya this either... I sold 'em to Red."

"YOU WOT!?" Yangus yelled out, unable to hold back his shock. He glared at the man.

"Red!? The old artful dodger 'erself!? Yer 'avin' a laugh, aintcha?"

"Sorry Yangus, straight up. Look, it's out o' my 'ands now. You'll have to sort it out yerself."

They left the store in silence, having never seen Yangus so shaken up.

"I don't believe it!" Yangus looked down. "Now Red's mixed up in all this..."

He sighed. "It's the last thing I wanna do right now, but we're gonna 'ave to pay 'er a visit." He said in a low voice. "She lives in a gaff south-west o' town. Nice little pad, it is. Slap bang wallop in the middle of a lake."

Harry shook his head, having never seen his friend act this way. It seemed as if he wanted nothing to do with this 'Red' person. Who was she? And what did they have to do to get Medea back?

'It doesn't matter what we have to do,' Harry reminded himself grimly. 'We will do it.'

**oooooooooo**

And that's chapter 14!

Be sure to review! I always enjoy the feedback.


	16. Yangus, Red, and the Venus' Tear

**A/N:** It's been pointed out to me by some of my reviewers that I should call this story a crossover in the summary. But I'll counter with the following: what good will that do? You don't need any background information on Dragon Quest VIII to enjoy this story. I thank you for your support, but don't worry! No one is missing out on anything.

**Now, to answer some reviews.**

**OakDarkleaf:** I've always found Harry/Ginny pairings to be a little lackluster myself and have become a fan of the Harry/Slytherin girl pairing. Even Harry/Tonks works for me. Hell, Jessica is like Tonks in that manner; she's hot, playful, and oh so powerful, all of which Harry is attracted to. Thanks for your review!

**Blackholelord:** I'm not too sure how to deal with the end part of the story, to be honest. I would, however, say that the Wizarding World _is_ salvageable. The true question is: will Harry want to fix it?

Thank you all for your continued support! You know who you are!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 15: Yangus, Red, and the Venus' Tear  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

"Oh, nah, nah, nah..." Yangus grumbled as they left the town of Pickham. "I don't want anyfin' more to do wiv Red! I wish we didn't 'ave to go an' see 'er."

Whoever this Red girl was, Yangus seemed to be scared of her. Harry wondered what could have possibly happened to him to act this way at the mere mention of her name.

Yangus sighed. "But I s'pose this ain't no time to be moanin'. The 'orse-princess is in trouble an' all."

"It'll be all right." Dante assured the man with a pat on the back. He smiled weakly.

Behind them, Jessica and Harry were engaged in conversation.

"Sounds like Yangus has known Red for a long time." Jessica whispered. "Is she his ex-girlfriend or something?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Harry answered. "Either that or he double-crossed her or something. Who knows?"

"You all right back there, King Trode?" Angelo called out to the panting king behind them. He looked like he'd been running ten days straight with no rest or water.

"Hmph." He wheezed. "Travelling without the carriage is jolly hard going. My feet are positively on fire!"

"Well, you'll just have to endure, I suppose." Angelo said with a bit of a savage grin.

"Er..." Trode didn't know how to answer that, so he changed the subject. "Of course, it's the Princess I'm really concerned for! How long until we get to this 'Red' person?"

"Just a bit more." Yangus answered.

"So we're off to the bandit woman's house." Angelo said, before grimacing and blocking his eyes with his hand. "Urgh! I just had this image of Yangus dressed up as a woman!"

"...Nice." Dante mirrored the grimace. "Thanks Angelo."

The others reacted similarly.

The pathway that led to Red's abode was littered with various traps and detours which lead nowhere— most of which Yangus knew how to avoid setting off or getting lost in the many diverging paths.

"You know a lot about the traps around here." Dante stated.

"Oh, yeah.." Yangus trailed off, not really wanting to talk about it, though he did add, "I set most of these up meself!"

"Impressive. If we weren't 'in the know', as it were, we would have gotten caught ages ago." King Trode praised the handiwork.

Yangus said nothing, but walked even faster. It took the group a while, and a lot of trap dodging, but they eventually stood in front of a rope bridge which stood precariously over a moat surrounding a small, defensible looking isle.

"Watch yer step." Yangus warned. "Some are rigged ta break. Keeps the wrong sort from bargin' in, you 'ear?"

The group nodded, and followed Yangus on the rope bridge, careful to only step where he putting his feet. It was an arduous task, as the bridge wobbled enough to make them more uncomfortable than they already were.

"It's not too much of a drop." Angelo commented, somewhat annoyed with the situation. "Why can't we just forget about this tip-toeing nonsense?"

"Trust me, mate." Yangus gave a wry grin. "You do _not_ want to set off Red."

They finally managed to cross the treacherous bridge, and walked the path leading deeper into the isle. Around the center and surrounded by gardens and trees, there stood a cozy looking two-story house, with a stable next to it. The place looked more like a place to retire, than a thief's hideout.

A menacing looking man stood at the front door.

Yangus wasted no time, and walked up to the man.

"I need to speak wiv Red." He said with determination. "Yer gonna 'ave to let us through."

"Yangus!" The bulky man spat. "You think Red's gonna wanna see your ugly mush!? Get out of 'ere! Hop it!"

Yangus was not fazed. If anything, he looked angry.

"Don't you boss me around, mate!" He growled and stepped forward threateningly. "I ain't goin' nowhere 'til I see Red. So shift, skivvy!" (Note: skivvy is a derogatory term for "servant")

"Skivvy!?" The man shook with rage, but otherwise stayed put. "Who the 'ell do you think you are!?"

"What's all the noise!?" A female voice said from inside the home. "I can hear your gabbin' from in here!"

The guard turned to the door nervously. "S-Sorry, boss! I got some geezer wiv no manners out 'ere. He'll be gone in a mo..."

"It's Yangus, isn't it?" She asked. "Just let him in. I'll speak to him meself."

The guard stepped aside.

"...You 'eard the boss!" He said somewhat disappointed. "Go on! Inside wiv ya!"

The group shuffled in nervously, not knowing what to expect, and hoping this Red lady would return Medea to them. The inside of the home looked very cozy. To Harry's right, there were some stairs leading to a humongous underground cellar, which, from the looks of it, seemed to contain a whole trove of paintings, weaponry, and other seemingly priceless artifacts. The rest of the house was pretty modest looking, considering the riches this woman seemed to possess.

Speaking of...

The woman in question currently sat in a rocking chair, next to the fireplace. She had brown, with a bit of purple, hair, tied in a pony that spiked in all directions, leaving a few bangs hanging in front of her face. Her outfit consisted of revealing crimson clothes tied together with straps, showing off her curvy tanned body.

She turned her head to Yangus, arms crossed, her icy blue eyes trained on the man.

"Don't often see your face round these parts anymore, Yangus." She began with a false cheerful voice. "So.. What brings you here?"

Yangus cringed, but began his tale. "It's like this, Red... You bought an 'orse from the black market drum in Pickham, right? Well it belongs to this bloke I'm travellin' wiv, see."

"Someone pinched it off 'im and then sold it on." He explained. "That's 'ow it came to be in the shop."

"I ain't gonna beat around the bush." He admitted with a grim face. "I need it back. I'll pay wotever ya want for it. Name yer price."

She stared him down.

"Straight up as usual, eh, Yangus." Her voice was soft. "I like that about you."

"But I'm not sellin' that horse." She denied his request. "She's a quality mare. Tows the line and she's got a decent coat on her. You know how much I like quality! However much you're willin' to pay, I am not partin' with it!"

Dante was about to intervene, the anger threatening to overwhelm him at this rate. The nerve of that woman treating Medea like an object! Harry and Angelo held him back.

"Wot!? Not for nuffin'?" Yangus was desperate now. "Look, it ain't for me, it's for me mate. I've gotta get 'er back... I'll do anyfin' you want."

She looked at him incredulously for a moment.

"Interestin'..." Red said. "Never thought I'd hear words like that comin' out of your mouth. Must be a good mate, eh?"

She got up suddenly.

"Awright, then. Here's what you're gonna do." She said with a smirk. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten the cave just north of here, right? Just bring us the jewel that's hidden in there."

He looked confused.

"You know," She reminded him. "The Venus' tear." His eyes widened.

"Wot!? Not that!" He pleaded. "You know I been in that cave before, an'..."

She took a few steps forward menacingly and poked him in the chest harshly.

"You just said you'd do anyfin' I want!" She reminded with a glare. "You gonna welch on that now, are ya? Just bring us the Venus' tear. Then I'll think about the 'orse."

She sat back down the rocking chair, dismissing them without words.

"The Venus' tear..." Yangus breathed once they were outside. "Surely she can't still..." He shook his head fiercely. "Nah, not after all this time! She's wanted that gem for bloomin' ages now. An' she never gives up on nuffin'. She's right dodgy— I mean, dog-eared— Nah! I mean, dogged!"

'_Looks like the ex-girlfriend part was true_.' Bob said amusedly. Harry grinned. When Jessica asked him what he was grinning about, he shared his musings with her. She grinned too.

"It looks like we have to go to this cave, then." Dante sighed.

"No!" King Trode piped up as they crossed the bridge. "I will not allow it! Let's take Medea back by force!"

"Calm down, grandad!" Yangus pleaded. "We're in my territ'ry now. Just go along wiv it an' leave this to me."

"Absolutely not!" King Trode answered. "I'll go back and speak to this Red woman myself! She'll soon see sense if I talk to her!"

"There's nothing to worry about, King Trode." Jessica appeased him. "We'll be sure to get the Princess back, so just try to keep your cool."

"Hmph..." It seemed to work, as Trode showed visible signs of calming down. "If you're sure, Jessica..."

"King Trode and that bandit woman, Red..." Angelo began with a smirk. "The self-centered king and the self-centered queen! It was probably wise of them not to have a conversation. It sends shivers down my spine just imagining those two clashing."

They all shared a laugh at Trode's expense, the man in question looking a little miffed, but finding the humor refreshing. It took his mind off of his daughter's continued suffering.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as Yangus led the group northwards, to the cave they had to go to. As they walked, the grassland beneath their feet gradually turned into arid land. Deadened trees stood, giving the area a dark atmosphere. There was something definitely wrong with this place.

"And there it is." Yangus pointed to a small indent in the floor in the distance. They approached the marked spot, only to see that it was a set of stairs that led downwards into a dark hole. Yangus shivered, but entered it with his friends.

The cave wasn't like any normal cave Harry had ever seen. It was a veritable man-made dungeon, with magically never-ending lit torches everywhere.

"I 'eard this cave was made years ago by some collector who wanted to keep people's 'ands off 'is prize treasure, the Venus' tear." Yangus said. "Wiv these traps goin' off all over the place, there ain't no way I coulda got to the treasure chest it's in on me own." He pointed forwards to a platform above them. A treasure chest stood on it, but they couldn't reach it.

"There's the chest!" He said to Dante. "The Venus' tear's s'posed to be locked away in that. Must be a real gem!"

He looked down.

"This ain't the first time I've 'ad a bash at this place." Yangus admitted. "I ain't ever managed to get as far as the chest, mind." He looked at Dante with determination. "But I ain't doin' the off wivout it this time! We're gonna get that Venus' tear!"

Right off the bat, they had to either go left, or right.

"We go left." Yangus answered their unasked question. "To the righ' is some old stone explainin' wot this place is 'bout."

So they went into the left hallway, walking at a steady pace. They went down some stairs, and kept moving through the hallways. The place turned out to be a maze worse than that of the town of Pickham, and this time, Yangus had no idea how to navigate it. There was a door to their left.

Dante went to open it, but couldn't grasp the handle.

"What the hell?"

"Oh, that." Yangus noted with a wry grin. "That, guv, is a paintin' that looks like a door."

They wandered around some more, looking absolutely lost. Some of the paths lead to dead ends, while others diverged into three different paths, which diverged into paths of their owns. It was a nightmare.

They avoided a square hole in the stone floor, which lead to a floor below them, and went to open the door at the end of the path they were on.

Dante tried to open it, but it seemed to be locked. Suddenly, a number of clicks were heard, and the door turned out to be a trap connected to a large spring, which smashed into Dante and his friends, pushing them back to the square hole they had avoided. They all fell through the hole and hit the ground in a heap of bodies.

They got up, and dusted themselves off.

"I'd forgotten 'bout that one." Yangus grumbled in annoyance.

"Ouch!" Jessica nursed her shoulder. "Stupid door! I'm going to _kill_ the guy who made this place IF I ever get out of here, and if someone else hasn't murdered him already!"

"That door!" Angelo rubbed at his nose with irritation. "It very nearly put my perfectly-formed nose out of joint! There's no surgeon in the world who could rebuild the sublime bone structure of this masterpiece!"

"I'm fine." Harry, Trode and Dante said simultaneously, all three somehow unharmed. They glanced at each other, crooked smiles on their faces.

"Now ya can understand why I gave this place up, eh?" Yangus said, and they all nodded. They managed to climb out of the hole by giving each other boosts, and the last one was pulled up by using a rope. To the right of the door-trap was another door. Dante carefully opened it, ready to dodge if it was another trap.

It opened with no trouble, revealing stairs leading down. Taking that as a good sign, the group entered, and made their way down.

More diverging hallways.

'_Great._' Bob whined petulantly.

They went to the right, and walked along the hallway until they reached a door. Dante opened it, to reveal... A wall behind it.

"I..." Harry began. "Hate this place."

The others mirrored the sour expression on his face, as they doubled back, and took the other path. That hallway turned out to diverge into three different paths, two of which turned out to be spirals which lead into dead ends. The last one, however, proved to be somewhat fruitful, seeing as the hallway turned into a large cavernous room, with an uplifted bridge separating them from what seemed to be a deep pitfall. A statue stood in the corner, looking out of place. There were no switches to lower the bridge, so Yangus tried doing it the old fashioned way.

What, you ask? Well, by smashing it downwards of course!

It didn't budge a single inch.

"You see that statue over there?" Angelo pointed at it.

"What of it?" Dante queried.

Angelo merely answered by pointing at an indentation in the ground. It was square shaped, exactly like the statue's bottom. Understanding shining across his face, both Angelo and Dante began to move the statue above the indentation. It locked into place with a click, and the bridge was lowered.

"Good show!" Trode praised the two, who waved it off. They all crossed the bridge, and found themselves walking through yet another hallway. They walked for a few minutes, noting that this certain path was longer than the others. Surely it should mean something, right?

"What is this?" Jessica asked confusedly.

They had passed through the door at the end, into a large room. In the center, was an odd looking sight. It was a strange set of tiles, with a statue each on two of the sides. Next to them, there was a sign that said:

"Look to the sky above to see the path!"

They all looked up to see a small square hole not quite in the center of the ceiling. It seemed to be in perfect alignment with one of the tiles.

"Interestin'." Yangus said. "I reckon if line up the statues on that tile, we'll go straigh' up."

"...It's worth a shot." Dante said after a few seconds of contemplation. So, Harry and Angelo pushed one of the statues, while Dante and Yangus pushed the other one. Once they were aligned, they walked to the tile in question. Their endeavors proved fruitful, as the tile sprang up, launching them through the hole in the ceiling.

They were now standing in a familiar spot. The stairs leading to the treasure chest they saw at the beginning!

"I can't believe it..." Yangus breathed as he looked up the stairs reverently. "We made it, guv!"

Feeling empowered, they all rushed up the stairs, and stood in front of the large, ornate treasure chest.

"Go ahead, Yangus. It's only right that you do the honors." Harry said to the man, who seemed to be hesitating at the sight of his goal. Yangus nodded with a grateful look in his eye, and made to open the chest.

There was a flash of light, and an inhuman screech. Yangus was blasted away from the chest, into Dante's arms. The chest began to open up into segments, and a skeletal monstrosity with demonic horns emerged, using the parts of the chest as shielding and weaponry. It gazed at them with yellow eyes, and snarled, showing off its ferocious looking canines.

Harry, Angelo and Jessica immediately unsheathed their swords, while Yangus and Dante recovered from the initial surprise. King Trode hid behind one of the pillars, nodding at the rest of the group. He was of no use in this situation. If anything, he was a hindrance.

Angelo, Harry and Jessica shared a glance, before springing into action. Harry and Angelo faced the monster head on, their swords moving in graceful arcs. The monster merely jumped above their strikes, and brought down the pieces of the segmented chest onto their heads. They narrowly managed to block the move, but the monster didn't let up, and began to smash its makeshift shields into their swords at a quick rate.

Thankfully, Jessica intervened, her steel tipped whip grazing the monster's eye, making it howl in pain and anger. It backed off, and began chanting.

"_Crackle!_" It said with a guttural voice, setting down one of its shields and waving at them with its hand. The power coalesced in its bony fingers, and it unleashed them. Jessica's eyes widened.

"Brace yourselves! It's an ice attack!" As she said this, the air in the room turned cold, and Harry was reminded of dementors for a small moment, before what Jessica said rang through his mind. He braced himself, as did Angelo next to him.

Spikes of ice shot out from the monster hand, and smashed against the stone tiles underneath Harry, Angelo, and Jessica, who had the similar idea to jump to dodge these attacks. They didn't fully get away from the attack however, as Harry began to feel his legs sting with frostbite. He landed with a wince. The monster gave a loud cackle. Harry glared, and with a grunt of exertion, fireballs appeared in his open palms, and he fused them together, going through the process of concentrating his power into a single point. It attempted to interrupt him, but now, Dante and Yangus had joined the fray, taking it from behind. It was not fazed in the least, though it was irritated at the presence of two new enemies.

To his side, Harry saw that Jessica had been doing the exact same thing he had. She gave a smirk and began to concentrate as well. Dante, Yangus and Angelo managed to hold the beast off, dodging its powerful attacks, and interrupting it before it could cast any spells at them. It even began to show signs of damage.

"You may be strong, but you're no Dhoulmagus!" Harry said to it, before glancing quickly at Jessica. She nodded. The power between his palms was beginning to overwhelm his control, so he shouted at his allies to move away. They obeyed with no hesitation.

"_Frizzle!_" Both Harry and Jessica incanted at the same time, two large orbs of concentrated crimson flame shooting at the monster at high speeds, leaving it no time to react. The boom was deafening, and Harry almost thought they'd made the entire cave explode and bury them.

When the smoke cleared, they saw that the monster had been severely wounded, but was otherwise still standing. It took two steps forward, wheezed out some smoke, and dropped to the floor, turning to ash as it did so. The ash blew away by some unseen force, revealing a pretty blue gem the size of Harry's head. It was shaped like a teardrop, and it glowed in the torchlight as Yangus picked it up to examine it.

"So this is it, eh...?" He looked at it reverently. "The Venus' tear! You beauty!"

"You know, guv..." He looked at Dante. "Last time I tried to get this stone, I done it for Red."

"Now we're just rivals, I guess, but I actually used to 'ave a bit of a thing for Red." He smiled, remembering the old days. "Back in them days she weren't a scary old bird like she is now. An' I was well green." He closed his eyes.

"So I thought I'd get her the Venus' tear to impress her, like. But I ended up doin' meself an injury, an' I 'ad to leave it." He said. "Never thought I'd end up gettin' it like this, though! I wonder 'ow it would've turned out if I 'ad got it back then, eh?" Harry could've sworn he heard the man sniff, but was too busy rubbing at his legs to warm them up.

"Anyway, just me old wounds." Yangus was back to his old self now. "Would ya mind keepin' this to yerself? Ain't the kind o' thing ya want goin' around."

Dante and the rest nodded with smiles showing their support. Yangus visibly sagged in relief. They all sat down to rest a little after the fight with the monster in the chest, not feeling capable of standing after the adrenaline left them. They broke out the medicinal herbs, and, at Angelo's request, Harry took out some of the water he'd blessed with the Goddess' power.

They took their time to recover, taking at least half an hour to do so. In that time, they stared at their surroundings in a comfortable silence.

"All right," Dante's voice broke through the quiet. "Let's go back, now. We've rested enough, and it's best not to keep Princess Medea waiting."

"I am not excited at having to walk through this dreadful maze once more," Trode said with a sigh. "But we at least have the gem now."

"Oh, no, no, King Trode." Dante said. "Come here, and I'll use _Escape_ to get us out quickly."

"Oh, splendid idea, my dear boy!" Trode grinned and bounded to the bandana wearing young man, the rest following.

"This spell is a bit different than _Zoom_." Dante began, and Harry immediately knew it was addressed to him and Jessica. "While using _Zoom_, you need to picture where it is you wish to go. To cast _Escape_, on the other hand, you need to think about wanting to leave the area."

He took a breath. "You don't need to direct the spell at anything, it'll do that for you. All _you_ need to do is think about leaving the place. Does that make sense?"

"I think so." Jessica answered, while Harry gave a nod. "I'll probably understand it more when I see you use it."

"Fair enough." Dante said, and closed his eyes.

"_Escape!_" He incanted, and they were suddenly enveloped by a golden dome, which lifted them above the ground, and began flying through the hallways of the dungeon at high speeds, reaching the entrance in less than twenty seconds.

As soon as it deposited them outside, Harry let go of his breath. He hadn't even realized he had stopped breathing.

"Right," Trode looked a little disheveled. "We've acquired the Venus' tear. Let's hurry back, and rescue Medea before she suffers a second longer!"

And hurry they did, making it back to Red's abode in half the time it took them to find the cave. The sun was beginning to set, when the group of misfits arrived at her front door once more.

The guard stopped them once more.

"Got the tear, did you?" He said mockingly, not having expected them to have acquired it. His whole demeanor did a one eighty when Yangus proudly pulled the teardrop shaped gem out of his bag for him to see.

"You got it!? I don't believe it!" The man almost yelled. "So it's the real deal then, that Venus' tear?"

"Aye," Was Yangus' answer.

"Crikey! I was sure you lot was gonna give up an' do a runner." He looked at them in a new light. "There's more to ya than I thought. Please, get in!"

He opened the door for them, and they entered without another word.

Red was in the exact same spot they'd seen her in when they left. It seemed as if she'd not moved an inch. Yangus ran to her, showing her the large gem.

"There! I got it!" He said excitedly, the Venus' tear glowing blue. "The Venus' tear!"

She got off her rocking chair and took the gem, examining it with the same critical eye Yangus seemed to have.

"Now _that_ is quality!" Red finally said in an impressed voice after finding no flaws. "Oh yes, this is the real deal. Well, Yangus, you excel yerself!"

Yangus had a self-satisfied grin on his face. "Now, 'and over the 'orse an' cart like you promised!"

She frowned suddenly. "...I never promised that! I said I'd think about it when you brought me the goods."

She glared at him.

"And I've thought about it now, and I'm _still_ not giving it back." She held the stone aloft. "You can keep the stone."

Yangus looked hurt for a moment, but it gave way to anger.

"Oy!" He growled out. "That ain't wot you promised! That's a pretty low trick, Red! I'm surprised at ya!"

"Promises!?" She snapped at him, looking away. "You wanna talk about promises!? If I remember rightly, you promised me ages ago you'd bring me that stone!"

"Wot? That was years ago!" Yangus tried to argue. "You can't dredge up the past like that!"

"Well you're in no position to argue!" She countered. "I ain't sayin' it again! The 'orse. STAYS. WIV. ME!"

Yangus looked down feeling ashamed.

"...Yer right." He finally said. "I was outta line before breakin' me promise to you an' all. I ain't surprised yer 'acked off wiv me."

He gave her a pleading look. "But this ain't just about me now. I can't leave wivout the 'orse! It's for the guv!"

He dropped to his hands and knees, an act that surprised everyone in the room.

"Look," His voice broke. "Do wot ya want wiv me... But, I'm beggin' ya, give the 'orse back!"

Red gaped at him.

"...Eh!" She said intelligently, before shaking her head and crouching down to his level.

"...Awright, awright! Behave, would ya!?" She sounded both concerned and irritated at his behavior. "Stop grov'llin' about on the floor! Be a man!"

He looked up, into her eyes. "Well...?"

She stood back up, looking a mix between guilty and annoyed.

"I thought I'd 'ave a bit of fun wiv ya, but you've lost it!" She tried to glare at him, but it didn't work. "Have the 'orse! Do wot ya want wiv it!"

She looked back at the Venus' tear.

"But I'll be keepin' that Venus' tear. That's what we agreed, right?" Red said.

"Yeah, fair enough." Yangus got back to his feet. "Thanks, Red. And... Sorry about ev'ryfin'."

She turned away.

"...For cryin' out loud! Pull yerself together!" She snapped. "We're done 'ere, right? So go on then! Hop it!"

Yangus only smiled at that, and left the house, the rest of his friends following with him.

Once outside, they saw that Medea and the cart were already waiting for them. They looked at the guard outside, who crossed his arms.

"Red told me to get the 'orse out for ya before ya got 'ere." He said. "Looks like she knew you'd come up wiv the goods. She must rate ya."

Trode rushed over to his daughter, looking for any sign of injury or abuse.

"Medea!" He almost cried in sadness. "What a terrible ordeal you must have been through! I'm so sorry! I won't leave you alone again!"

"I'll never go to the pub like that again! I promise!" He added.

The others came forward, and apologized as well. Medea simply shook her head, simply glad to be safe and among friends again. Medea nudged her father in an attempt to get him to sit on the carriage. Seems she wanted to leave this place as fast as she could.

"...Well." King Trode said as he took his seat in the carriage. "We're ready to leave whenever you are, Dante. What's our next destination?"

"How about tryin' Brains again?" Yangus suggested. "Maybe the old geezer'll be around to give us some intelligence this time. Let's 'ead back to Pickham. We've gotta find out where Dhoulmagus is. Otherwise we'll just be wand'rin' 'round like 'eadless chickens."

"Hmph." Trode looked annoyed at the mere mention of the place. "It would be no hardship to me if I never set foot in Pickham again. But I suppose we have no choice."

"But let's make one thing clear!" He said before they could leave. "From now on, I'll always stay outside of town with the carriage. I just can't relax with the Princess out of my sight."

"Fair enough." Dante said, and beckoned them to move closer to him.

"Harry." Dante said, getting his attention. "I want you to use _Zoom_ again, but this time, I want you to move _everyone_."

"..You think I can?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"I'm sure of it. All you need to do is extend the shroud to everyone, like you saw me do before."

"Okay then."

He stood in the center of the group, and concentrated on the entrance of the city of Pickham. He imagined the shroud covering not only him, but all of his friends as well. It took a while to visualize the size of the shroud, but he eventually managed it.

"Are you all ready?" Harry asked. They all answered with positives.

"Then let's go." Harry said.

"_Zoom!_" The blue shroud of energy appeared, big enough to envelop the entire party of friends. They lifted off the ground, and blasted off in the direction of Pickham. A few minutes later, they landed softly in front of the home of impropriety, crime and vulgarity.

They bade goodbye to the King and his daughter, before entering the town of Pickham once more, in search of information on Dhoulmagus. Navigating the streets took a bit of time, but with Yangus' help, they managed to get to Brains' place quickly enough.

Yangus knocked on the door.

"Come in!" A voice came. Yangus turned to give his friends a grin, and opened the door. The man was certainly not what they'd expected. Instead of dirty beggar, or a bulky bully, it was a thin, small man with glasses that greeted them. His hair was combed, and he wore a red tie over a neat looking robe, giving him a scholarly appearance. He seemed to be reading from a book.

Yangus stepped forward and bowed in respect.

"Hello Brains. Long time no see. Back at last, eh?" Yangus even seemed to be making an effort to speak correctly.

"Well, well." Brains said in a cultured voice. "Look who it is! You came when I was out, did you Yangus? I'm sorry I wasn't here."

"But you're back again." He noted. "So if I'm not mistaken, you must be in need of some information. Am I right?"

"Always on the ball, eh, Brains!" Yangus praised, before moving straight to the point.

"We're lookin' for this bloke who looks like a clown." Yangus explained. "Goes by the name o' Dhoulmagus. He's a slipp'ry customer. Keeps gettin' away from us. Have you 'eard anything?"

Brains adjusted his glasses for a moment.

"Yes, I've heard about him." Brains confirmed. "The criminal responsible for murdering the Abbot of Maella Abbey, no less..."

Angelo shifted uneasily at this.

"Do you know anything?" Angelo asked the man, who nodded.

"My sources report seeing him walking over the surface of the sea toward the western continent." Brains answered.

"The Western Continent?" Yangus repeated. "That's a bit 'azy, innit? Can't ya be more specific?"

"Sorry, that's all I know." And Brains definitely did look sorry. "I wish I could tell you more."

"Well if _you_ don't know nuffin' more, Brains," Yangus replied. "There ain't nuffin' more to know. We'll 'ave to go to the Western Continent ourselves!"

"A fine idea," Brains said patiently. "But aren't you forgetting something? How do you intend to cross the sea?"

That threw everyone for a loop.

"...Eh?" Yangus looked confused.

"Did something happen to the ports?" Jessica asked.

"Monster attacks at sea have been significantly worse recently." Brains informed them. "All crossings from here and from the northern continent have been cancelled."

"You _could_ go if you had your own ship," Brains mused. "But unless I'm misinformed, you don't. I'd say that will pose quite a problem."

"Er... Yeah... I 'adn't thought o' that." Yangus grumbled.

"No, I can see that." Brains said with no malice. "Well, perhaps I can help you out there with a little snippet of information I heard."

He went to one of his many bookcases and pulled out a book, flipping through the pages until he reached what he was looking for. He began to read.

"Follow the cliffs along the coast to the west from Port Prospect, and you will come to a wide open wasteland." He said, reading over his notes. "According to what information I've heard, there's an old abandoned ship there."

He adjusted his glasses. "I don't know why a ship would be in a place devoid of water, but anyway... People say it's a magic ship."

"A magic ship in the middle of the desert?" Harry repeated incredulously. Brains only nodded patiently.

"If you could get it up and running again," Brains suggested. "You'd be able to sail anywhere you wanted. You might want to try the path to the west of Port Prospect. It was blocked by a rockslide, but I hear that's been cleared up now."

Well, they'd come for information, and they'd received information. But it just wasn't what they expected. Dhoulmagus was now farther than ever, and the only way to give chase was to search for an ancient magic ship in the middle of a desert, and somehow fixing it before getting it to the ocean.

...Could they ever catch a break?

**oooooooooo**

Whoo! Done with this!

Review please!


	17. The Magic Ship and The Cursed Castle

**Chapter 16! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 16: The Magic Ship and The Cursed Castle  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

"So here we are. Back at Port Prospect."

"Brains told us to go back here and follow the coast to the west, right? He said we'd find a marooned ship in the middle of a vast wilderness there."

"Bloody unbelievable if you ask me!"

"Language!"

"Sorry."

It was with that small exchange that the assortment of allies began their next quest. It was already midday, as they'd spent the night at Pickham, and trained in the morning. Since the time Harry was on the boat which was sailing from Port Prospect to Peregrin Quay, he was training every morning in order to get stronger. Dante, while still beating him in their spars, had told him he'd become a force to reckon with once he built up more strength and speed. His fire magic had become much easier to manipulate the more and more he used it; he'd taken a page from Jessica's book, and had begun to juggle as many balls of fire as he could.

The task, while seemingly simple, turned out to be incredibly difficult, as he had to keep his mind on the trajectory of each ball and make sure it didn't stray from the path he wanted it to. Harry had gaped when he saw Jessica juggle five different balls of fire, in opposing directions, at different tempos and angles. She merely said one of her attunements was fire, and that she had been practicing for years.

"Attunement," She had explained. "Is your body's natural affinity to a certain element. What that means is, you'll find it easier to cast certain spells. For example, a fire elemental could cast _Frizzle_ with only a few weeks of training, whereas a wind elemental—who had no attunement to fire— would take a long time to even learn _Frizz_."

"On another note," She'd said. "There are some neutral spells as well; spells usually meant to support others you are travelling. For one, there is the _Heal_ spell, which is very useful in a number of situations. Some, like my _Sap_, reduce my target's defensive power. There are also spells which increase your strength, speed, reaction time, and more."

It had made sense to him.

Then came the obvious question. What were Harry's attunements?

She had shrugged unhelpfully. "Your fire element is very strong, since you were able to replicate a _Frizzle_ after seeing it once. I could only guess if you have any other attunements. You would have to attempt to learn the basic spells of each element to do this."

As it turned out, Dante was a lightning and fire attuned, though he never delved too deep into his lightning nature yet, despite admitting he was much more attuned to lightning than fire. Angelo was wind and lightning attuned, and Jessica was fire and ice. Yangus had no attunements, since he preferred to fight physically.

Aside from his magic and sword training, Angelo had begun to teach him how to harness the holy power he possessed. After he had learned how to bless water, Angelo taught Harry how to erect barriers using his holy power, which Bob began to call 'Spirit Energy'. Angelo tested its strength, and was surprised to note he had met significant resistance as he tried to break through. His spells were reflected at him, and it took all his strength to make a small crack. He eventually did break through, leaving Harry sweating buckets due to the insane drain it posed on his body. When Harry had mentioned this, Angelo had a sinister smile on his face and said that they'd simply increase his reserves. Harry answered with a shudder.

Back to the present...

"This takes me back..." King Trode said as they made their way to the west. "The scenery here reminds me so much of the old days... My beautiful castle, my faithful subjects... Oh, I can't bear it..."

Medea neighed sadly.

"Wot's wiv the cryin', granddad!?" Yangus asked. "Give it a rest, will ya!"

"Oh, do be quiet!" Trode sniffed. "I just had some dust in my eyes! I wasn't crying, I tell you!"

Yangus just grinned.

"I do say, though." King Trode said. "I've spent all my life in Trodain, but I've never seen or heard of any ship before. Should we believe this informer chap, do you suppose?"

"It's all we have." Dante simply answered his king, who nodded helplessly.

They crossed through the valleys of the continent, fighting off a few monsters every now and then. The path had no end in sight, it seemed. They had been walking for hours, if the setting sun was anything to go by.

"This really does feel like the middle of nowhere." Harry said. "You sure we're even going in the right direction?"

"Yeah. I remember passing through here in my days as a lowly castle soldier." Dante reassured him with a confident smile. "The entrance to the desert should be a bit up north, but I say we should get to the inn which is not too far from here. It's almost nighttime, and I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get tired."

"Me too, guv." Yangus piped up.

It took a bit more time, and an annoying walk uphill, but they eventually reached the inn. It stood on top of the hill, surrounded by a tall fence to ward off monsters and animals. There was a small farmhouse to the side, with a few cows and horses grazing.

"Thank goodness!" Jessica exclaimed as they entered the premises. "I was actually getting kind of tired after all that walking. Now I can have a rest at last!"

They entered the inn, and rented a room for the night, before heading off to the large dining room for dinner. They sat down, and ordered their food, chatting amongst each other. Within a short amount of time, they found themselves enjoying some nice cooked steak, with baked potatoes and gravy.

"And the best part is," Angelo stopped talking to take a bite out of his steak. "The poor fool never figured it out. I cheated him out of at least five hundred gold pieces that night."

"Blimey!" Yangus balked at the amount. "You're a diff'rent one, awright."

Dante listened as the two tricksters exchanged stories of their many exploits over the years.

Currently, Yangus was trying to explain how he'd gotten away with stealing from one of the most ruthless crime bosses in Pickham, all the while having the boss' minions turn on him. The details were most likely a bit embellished, but the story was otherwise believable. It made for a good, enjoyable conversation.

Munchie stood on Harry's head, happily devouring whatever food Harry gave to it. The Boy Who Lived tilted his head forward, causing Munchie to fall off, right into his hands.

"Here you go." He set the cute mouse on the table. "Knock yourself out!"

It began eating everything in sight.

"He's so cute!" Jessica's eyes shone with mirth. Harry put an arm over her shoulder, and gave her a quick kiss.

"He sure is."

**oooooooooo**

It took all morning, but Harry finally managed to find his second element, and a minor third element; wind and some lightning. He had attempted learning lightning, ice and wind basic attacks taking an hour for every single one. He met some success with the lightning spell, _Zap_, which was supposed to strike an opponent with a bolt of lightning, leaving it dazed, and if the spell was strong enough, knock it out. He was able to fire off a weak bolt at the end of the hour. On the other hand, he showed zero aptitude at the ice element, not even capable of making the air colder, let alone being able to shoot projectiles of ice. He didn't despair, of course.

Wind, however, was a bit different than the rest in terms of spells. It had no real set spells, but was more based on two different styles of wind manipulation. The first style was based on brute force attacks, using the air to blast away at the enemy with impunity. The second style, meanwhile, was more precision oriented, as it turned the wind into thin, invisible blades which could cut through almost anything if they were thin enough.

Harry chose the precision oriented style, as he already had enough brute force thanks to his fire element. The method itself was pretty simple; Harry would make a slashing motion at his target, sending out thin blades of wind powered by his magic.

Angelo didn't really expect him to get any headway with wind manipulation, since he already was attuned to both fire and lightning. But it was to his shocked surprise, that Harry got the attack right on the first try. The wind blade shot from his hand, and cleanly cut through one of the trees, before impacting another tree behind it, this time landing a deep cut.

Angelo gaped, the rest mirroring him. Harry shouldn't have been able to do that on his first try. He himself had taken weeks to get to that level of wind manipulation!

"Two high nature attunements and a minor one? That's unheard of." Angelo said, impressed.

"Thanks." Harry bowed his head, not knowing what to say to that. He never wanted any of this. All his life he'd been different than everyone around him. Before Hogwarts, he was the criminally insane freak from Little Whinging. At Hogwarts, he was the Boy Who Lived, the savior of the Wizarding World. Now here, he was attuned to three elements and was capable of using holy power—'_Spirit Energy_.' Bob coughed mentally. It was too much. Harry shook his head to get rid of those thoughts.

"Why me? What makes me so special?" He wondered out loud. They looked at him with confusion, not understanding his reaction, except King Trode, who gave him a knowing look.

"I understand how you feel." King Trode hedged, drawing a sharp glance from Harry.

"Indeed," The diminutive King confirmed. "To have such power thrust upon you at such a young age, when all you've ever wanted is to be ordinary."

It was Harry's turn to gape. He had read his feelings so easily.

"Don't look so surprised, my boy." King Trode chuckled. "I too, never wished to rule. My brother was the crown heir, but he and my father had been lost to monsters— but that was long ago." He shook his head, not wanting to dredge up that memory. "I was about your age, when I became King. At first, I hated the attention. I had to see to the needs of my people, while forgetting my own."

"But..." King Trode said. "One day, something changed. I began to enjoy helping my people. It brought such joy to my heart, and I am certain that you will come to accept the power you now possess, along with the responsibility of using it."

Harry was speechless. So he did the only thing his mind could tell him.

He bowed, low.

"None of that, child." King Trode said softly. "You do not bow in my presence. None of you do." He gave them all a look.

"Well!" He clapped his hands, and got on the carriage, with Medea looking extremely happy. "Off we go! Let us find this abandoned ship so we can give chase to that foul jester!"

The speech had turned the atmosphere into a happy one. The group rested for a while, before heading northwards of the inn. They took a little while, but the group noticed the signs of their arrival at the right place. Fertile soil gradually gave way to arid sand. The lush grass fields were replaced with a few shrubs here and there, and cacti took the place of trees.

"Well, here we go." Harry murmured, and they began to wander through the massive expanse of dunes. They wandered for at least a few hours, the scorching sun high in the sky, allowing them no quarter. They'd all covered their heads with spare clothes in the carriage to minimize the damage.

Harry felt something grab his ankle, and looked down. A hand had come out of the sand and grabbed him. His eyes widened, before he wrenched his leg free and kicked the offending hand away. It landed against the sand with a thump, before slipping back down into the sand. Harry was suddenly reminded of an old show Dudley used to watch.

"What the hell was that!?"

Dante gave an amused chuckle. "Those are called Hands. They're pretty harmless."

"Harmless!?" Harry sputtered loudly. "It tried to pull down in the sand!"

"Mah, Mah," Dante waved him off with a grin. "They have the strength of newborns. Trust me, it was much more content with startling the living daylights out of you."

Harry was about to say something else, but Yangus beat him to it.

"D'you see tha'?" Yangus suddenly said, pointing to the west. The argument momentarily forgotten, Harry squinted in that direction. It was an oddly shaped mountain.

'_Looks like a ship to me_.' Bob noted.

"..Looks like another mountain." Dante said, not seeing what was so special. He rubbed at his eyes and looked at it again. "...Maybe not. I can't make it out."

"Let's get closer to it." Harry suggested, and they all headed to the west, the oddly shaped mountain growing bigger and bigger. It wasn't a mountain at all, but an old ship covered with sand. Oddly enough, Harry could detect no structural damage.

'_Guess that Brains bloke was right about there being a ship here._' Bob pointed out, still disbelieving.

"...Well, I never!" King Trode looked surprised. "Yes... this must be it! The ancient ship we heard about in Pickham!"

Trode looked positively giddy. "Now we can pick up Dhoulmagus' hateful trail again!"

"But..." He suddenly realized something. "It's enormous. How on Earth will we get it down to the sea!?"

"That's a good question." Angelo unhelpfully said.

"I must admit, I'm rather stumped myself." King Trode said. "If only it wasn't quite so far inland..."

"Would it possible to place the ship on a giant wheeled platform?" Jessica suggested. "Then we can just wheel it out of here."

"Good thinking." Harry answered, but then frowned. "But we'd have to get it on the platform in the first place..."

"Hadn't thought of that."

"I know!" King Trode exclaimed and turned to Dante. "Show me the map!"

Dante took the map from his backpack, and gave it to his King, who unfurled it down on the sand.

"Now let's see." He studied the map. "Here's my castle." He pointed to a spot north of their current position, though there was a tall mountain range in the way. "And we are... Somewhere around here!" He gave an estimate of their location by looking at his surrounding for a bit, before comparing them with the map.

"Unbelievable! We're directly south of the castle! I had no idea we were so close to home." King Trode looked thoughtful, before speaking again. "We should go back to the castle and see if we can find mention of this ship in the library. We might just find a clue!"

"And just how," Angelo cut through the King's cheer. "Are we supposed to get to the castle? There's a mountain range in our path. Unless you're suggesting we scale the mountain?"

"I can answer that for you." Dante said and pointed at the map, tracing a line through the west side of the mountain range. "Our men dug a tunnel path in this area; we'll just need to pass through."

"Fair enough." Angelo nodded, and went back to scanning his surroundings with an air of boredom.

They headed westwards, and sure enough, the tunnel through the mountain range was there. They silently walked through it for some time, until they reached the other side. As Harry stepped onto the grasslands of Trodain, he observed his surroundings. It was a vast expanse of lush forests, with a hill towering above in the distance. On that hill, stood a castle. It was covered by a purple colored fog.

"Home sweet home." Dante muttered.

"You was a soldier at Trodain Castle, weren't ya, guv?" Yangus asked excitedly. "I can't wait to see the place!"

"I wouldn't be so excited." Angelo cut in. "I heard rumors about this place. It got cursed and turned into a ruin overnight."

"..." Dante merely started walking forward at a quick pace, silently beckoning them to follow. They did.

They finally reached the castle, after walking along the main road for the better part of an hour. They went through the long entrance way, and found themselves in front of a large double door, overrun with thorny vines. Dante tried pushing it open. It didn't budge. He looked at Trode for guidance.

"Hm, we can't get in like this." Trode said, and looked at Jessica. "Jessica, can you get rid of these thorns with some of your hocus pocus?"

"I guess I can give it a try." Jessica answered amiably, before positioning herself in front of the door. "Let's see."

A fireball appeared in her hand. "_Frizz!_" The ball of flame impacted against the door, and the vines were set on fire, before falling off.

"There!" She looked satisfied. "Just don't ask me to get rid of all of them, okay?"

They walked through the doorway, into the front courtyard. The trees were devoid of leaves. Many buildings were damaged, and overrun with the same thorny vines that were present at the main door. The place looked a mess, and the stench of decay hung in the air. The group began to look around, with Dante and Harry staying behind to talk to King Trode and Medea.

"Oh, my poor castle!" Trode lamented. "It used to be so beautiful, but now it's in ruins. And it's all because of Dhoulmagus' evil curse."

"That's when our journey began, when the castle's secret treasure was plundered..."

_Flashback..._

_It was night time. A woman stood on one of the castle's towers, gazing out in the distance._

_"Ah, there you are, Princess." Trode's voice rang. He didn't look all that different from his current state. He was still very short, only this time he had a head of brown hair, and light skin._

_"I know you like to look at the stars, but it's a little chilly to be outside." Trode said with concern. "Perhaps you should retire to your chamber?"_

_She turned, her visage hidden by the shadows._

_"Of course, Father." Medea gave a short bow. "I'll come right away."_

_The two entered the castle, and moved through the hallways, heading to the bedroom. At least, that was what they were going to do, until they came across an unconscious guard._

_"W-What's this!?" King Trode approached the guard who was lying face down on the cool stone. "What's going on!?" He knelt by him, to see if he was hurt._

_"Hello?" Princess Medea's fearful voice called out. "Is anybody there? There's a man injured here. Somebody please call a doctor!"_

_No answer._

_"Speak to me!" Trode ordered the guard. "Tell me what happened here!"_

_The guard struggled to find the words._

_"Y-Your Majesty... S-Somebody..." He coughed. "...Th-The sealed chamber!" He fell unconscious._

_Trode was shocked._

_"The sealed chamber!? But surely no one would...!?"_

_He stood to his full height, though he was still shorter than Medea's waistline, and headed to the sealed chamber. Medea followed after him with concern._

_"Father," Medea tried. "The intruder may still be up there. It's too dangerous for you to go alone."_

_They passed by another fallen guard, making sure to set them in a comfortable position._

_"I can't just stand by and let someone steal it!"_

_"I know." Princess Medea said. "So I'll go with you."_

_"Hm? I don't know..." He began, but caved at her look. "Well, if there's no other alternative..."_

_They walked up the staircase leading up to the sealed chamber. It was a large chamber, filled with various holy statues, all of which pointed at something in the center. That something, was a scepter. It stood in the center of the room, held in place by chains which crisscrossed the room, and an arcane magic circle drawn underneath it. In front of the scepter, stood Dhoulmagus, arm outstretch, his fingers about to touch the scepter._

_"You!" King Trode's startled the jester, making him look back. "What do you think you're doing!? I forbid you to touch that scepter!"_

_Dhoulmagus fully turned to face the two._

_"Why if it isn't King 'Troll' and Princess 'Mare-dea'. I didn't expect you to find me..." Dhoulmagus sneered. "...But what's done is done. Tell me, is this scepter as powerful as people say?"_

_"You're that jester..." King Trode finally recognized him. "You came to my castle so you could steal the scepter!?"_

_Dhoulmagus laughed mockingly. "Well deduced! You save me the bother of explaining myself, Your Majesty!"_

_"I heard all about it." He said before Trode could interrupt. "About a legendary magical scepter sealed deep inside Castle Trodain. And about how it could bestow ultimate magical powers..." Dhoulmagus smirked, and pointed at himself. "With this, nothing can stop me from becoming the greatest magician of all time!"_

_"Then!" His smirk turned savage. "I'll have my revenge on those scornful snobs who made a fool of me!" He turned back to take it._

_"Stop!" King Trode looked panicked. "That scepter must never leave this castle!"_

_"Ha ha ha hah." Dhoumagus only laughed, and grasped the scepter. "Nothing can stop me!"_

_As soon as his fingers touched it, the chains holding the scepter down broke into a million piece, and scepter pulsed with magical power, pushing all except Dhoulmagus back._

_He laughed insanely, and looked at the Princess and her father again._

_"I see no reason to delay this any further. Time to unleash it's true power..." He said sinisterly and looked at Trode. "King Trode. You will be my first guinea pig." He pointed the staff at Trode_

_"Father, look out!" Medea called out, but it was too late. A crimson beam shot out of the scepter, and sped at Trode. So she did the only thing she could do. Stand in its way. It didn't help, and they were both affected._

_Dhoulmagus observed his handiwork._

_"Hm?" He didn't look impressed. "Is that the best it can do?"_

_On the stone floor before him were a beautiful white mare and a short green troll, unconscious._

_"The mare I can see, but you look more like a toad than a troll to me!" He scanned his surroundings. "...Ah, but wait! The magic circle here must be restricting its full powers."_

_"Ha ha ha!" He cackled. "If I can take it away from here, I'll see what it can REALLY do!" He left the sealed chambers, and headed out onto the platform overlooking the castle's front courtyard._

_He held the scepter high in the air._

_"Come, precious scepter! Show me your true power!" He beckoned, and the scepter answered his call, enveloping him in a blood red aura._

_"...Oh yes!" He almost purred. "What incredible magic! Perfect!"_

_His face then contorted in pain._

_"S-So... Powerful!" He spat out with a pained face. "I can't control it!"_

_Suddenly, vines began to spread all over the castle, with Dhoulmagus as the origin. The vines quickly overtook every structure in sight, and all the townsfolk were caught unaware by the sheer ferocity of them._

_Meanwhile, King Trode had finally woken up, and watched as the thorny vines spread all over the sealed chambers, while he and his daughter were protected by none other than the magic circle that was warding off the scepter's power._

_"My word..."_

_Back outside, the vines had stopped spreading, and Dhoulmagus stood still, his head down. He suddenly grinned, an evil gleam in his eyes._

_"...Ah! Ha ha ha hah. Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He cackled gleefully and pulsed with power, before blasting away with a _Zoom_, leaving behind a deathly silent, ruined castle._

_In another part of the castle, Dante began to wake. He got up quickly, his armor making clinks and clanks with the sudden movement. He remembered the thorns completely overwhelming him before he fell unconscious. But how was he still alive?_

_End Flashback..._

"That day..." Trode looked at Dante. "We were inside the magic circle, but you weren't. How did you manage to survive?"

"...I honestly have no idea." Dante admitted.

"...Hm, who knows?" Trode said helplessly. "Maybe it was just luck. You've always been a lucky one." He remembered fondly, and Dante gave a small smile.

"Nothing wrong with having luck on your side." Harry gave in his two cents.

"Oy, guv, 'Arry!" Yangus' voice rang out. Jessica and Angelo stood by the man, waiting for them. "Wot are you an' the old codger jabberin' on about back there, eh!? Ain't we s'posed to be swottin' up on that ship? Come on, get a move on!"

Dante and Harry gave Trode a quick nod, which was returned.

"The castle library is just over there." He pointed off to the side. There was a doorway, which was blocked by thick, thorny vines. A statue of a man stood beside the doorway.

"...Wait. That's no statue." Harry pointed at the man. He looked to be a scholar, from his selection of clothing. His skin was a pale green, and his arms had morphed into vines. He was completely motionless, as if dead.

"Ah, yes..." Trode said solemnly. "You can see what a terrible fate has befallen them. I suppose I should be thankful they weren't killed."

"You think, I can lift this curse?" Harry asked, looking at Angelo.

"...I'm not sure a group of priests could even fight this curse, Harry." Angelo denied. "Maybe Abbot Francisco could've..." He murmured a quick prayer.

"I know a prayer isn't going to do much to help these people." Angelo said at their looks. "But at least it eases my conscience."

As the door to the library was blocked, they had to go through the long way. The group walked through many rooms, and hallways, passing by the many cursed residents of the castle. Their faces were frozen in a mix of shock, surprise, and fear. It was obvious that seeing them in this state tore at Dante's heart. He probably knew every single one of the people at the castle, and to have him see them like this...

They passed by the throne room, and notice a man sitting on one of the thrones, frozen by the curse of the vines. His face, unlike the others, was set in a self-satisfied expression.

"Oh, my poor minister!" King Trode said with sadness. "The curse has deformed you, too..."

"...Although, it was unleashed in the middle of the night..." He suddenly looked angry. "So what were you doing in the courtroom? On my throne!?"

"So!" Trode said. "You enjoy the feeling of being enthroned, do you!? Well, your secret is out now, you frivolous old fool!"

Harry fought to keep the amused grin off his face, but couldn't, and eventually laughed as well, driving everyone else to laugh. They passed by the kitchens, with Trode lamenting over his head chef's current state.

And then they reached the library.

"All right." Dante said with a grimace. "Let's see what we can find."

The group immediately got to work, picking out any book that alluded to ships or magic, and sat on the tables, perusing through each one.

'Explosives: Handle With Care... Don't think so.' Harry thought, and tried another one.

'Better Living Through Cheese... An Excellent Elfin Elixir... Swords And Shields... Must-Sees for Sightseers... Vogue Alchemy...' Harry did a double take, before moving on. 'Pure Relaxation... The Pitfalls of Alchemy... The Forgotten Ship... Travelling to Trodain...'

'_Wait! The book before that!_' Bob broke Harry out of his methodic study. Harry blinked, and look at 'The Forgotten Ship'.

"I think I've found something." Harry said loudly, and began leafing through the pages. It took around half an hour, and a lot of speed reading, but Harry thought he got the gist of it. He let King Trode read it, and explained what he was able to figure out.

"It basically says that the area we found the ship in was at the bottom of an ocean... It doesn't give much details, though." Harry glanced around, noting that it was already night time. They'd been in the castle that long?

"I concur." King Trode lifted his nose from the book.

"The information is not very forthcoming, nor is it helpful." Trode said. "If only the ocean still existed, it would be plain sailing..." He said, before suddenly going through a fit of giggles at his pun. Dante groaned.

Trode suddenly stopped laughing, looking at the full moon in the sky.

"...Hm? What on Earth?"

It had completely escaped their notice before, but the vines blocking the Library's front doorway cast a window shaped shadow on the wall. A shadow that looked oddly familiar.

"Look at that window-frame pattern on the wall!" Jessica too had noticed. "Doesn't it remind you of the one we saw in Ascantha?"

"But why here and now?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"An inconceivable ship in an equally inconceivable place." Angelo said mysteriously. "And now, a Moonshadow window in a cursed castle smothered in thorns. It sounds just like a fairy tale, but I suppose I could get on board with it."

'_He certainly has a way with words._' Bob chortled.

They wasted no time and stood in front of the doorway to Moonshadow. Just like before, it split vertically right down in the middle, and enveloped them in a bright light. And like before, they stood on the platforms over the beautiful lake, reflecting light off of the several moons in the sky.

"I never imagined we'd have another chance to visit this place!" Jessica said quickly. "I was almost about to write off the time in Ascantha as a dream..."

"Ascantha and Trodain are quite a long way away from each other." Angelo mused. "So how can they both have doorways leading to exactly the same place?"

"Does it matter?" Harry countered, and followed Dante, who had begun to move. "Let's just see if Ishmahri can help us again."

"Watch yer step, guv"

"I say, Dante." Trode said, looking around in wonder. "This is the place you described? My dear boy, your tales do not do it justice."

They reached Ishmahri's home, and entered. The elf in question, had his back to them, and stared off in the distance. At the sound of their footsteps, he turned, eyes widening in recognition.

"Aah.." He said. "Welcome once more to the Land of the Moonshadow, fortunate travelers."

He gave them an impressed look.

"The Moonshadow Window opens but once in a human's lifetime to grant a single wish." Ishmahri elaborated. "It is mysterious indeed that we should meet for a second time."

"Enlighten me, what wish has brought you back to me upon this night?" He looked at Dante, urging him to speak.

Dante told him of their current quest, of how they needed to salvage the ship to give chase to Dhoulmagus.

"I know the ship of which you speak." Ishmahri said, closing his eyes in remembrance. "Long ago, it would travel the vast oceans, guided by the light of the moon. I remember it well."

"And now you wish to return this ship to the ocean from whence it came?" He said. "A simple task."

"All we must do is revive the memory of ancient times. Those times when there was once an ocean where now there is only land." Ishmahri said, and they answered with skeptical looks.

"You saw for yourselves in Ascantha..." He reminded them gently. "Now I will again give form to a memory, the memory of the ocean that sleeps in the land." He began playing his harp. "The music will rouse the memory."

Ishmahri ran his fingers over the majestic harp, playing a beautiful melody.

The melody was cut, however, when Harry heard one of the harp's wires snap.

"...?" Ishmahri looked at his harp with a look that said he had been expecting this to happen. "It is as I feared. this harp is not powerful enough. I will need a greater instrument if I am to perform such a task."

"I must think..." He regarded Dante for a moment.

"Yes, it is coming to me." Ishmahri said mysteriously. "There is an aura that surrounds you... It is faint, but I can feel it."

"I see it!" The elf smiled. "A Moonshadow harp in the world of the sun's light. With that, no undertaking would be beyond the realms of possibility. Lend me your ears." He requested. "Somewhere in your world, there is an almighty instrument. Somewhere along the path you have already trodden. A friend will guide you to it."

"A-All right." Dante finally said. "We'll do our best."

"It is all I can ask." Ishmahri answered, and turned away. "May the moon watch over you and keep you safe..."

And with that, they were back in the library. They stared at each other, silently, until...

"The bloody 'ell do we do?"

Well said, Yangus.

**oooooooooo**

Chapter 16, over! Review please :D


	18. The Magic of Music

**Blackholelord:** A likely way to let the story pan out, but not at all how I planned things out. I'm thinking having Rhapthorne have someone else under his control. I can already see it now! I won't tell you who, though! It'll be a nasty surprise. I don't know, wouldn't want to screw it up too much.

**Raging Berserker:** Thanks for the review! I've never really bothered much with detail, because I don't think the reader needs to be told every single detail. I'm pretty sure they could fill things out themselves; it lets their imagination run wild, that's for sure!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or Harry Potter in any way or form.

**oooooooooo  
Journey of the Cursed King  
Chapter 17: The Magic of Music  
By Ranma XLR  
© 2013  
oooooooooo**

"I feel like we're wasting our time..." Harry said after yet another day of searching for the Moonshadow Harp. After their meeting with the elf, Ishmahri, the group had begun to retrace their steps, in an attempt to look for the Harp. You see, according to Ishmahri, they had come across this Harp during their past travels.

So the logical step would be to retrace their steps.

If only it was as simple as it sounded. The land they've travelled on was massive in scale. In fact, Harry could easily say that, ever since he got to this world, he had walked more than his entire life put together! Granted, it did get better as time went on, with him increasing his stamina and tolerance for the pain associated with hiking, but still...

Nothing in five days, and they still had much, much more ground to cover. The only silver lining Harry saw was that he was progressing quickly in his magical and spirit energy training. His _Frizzle_, while still not as strong as Jessica's (though, with her years of experience, he doubted it ever would be), was getting easier and easier to compress and contain, unlike the first time he had tried it. Back then, the fire would fight against him for control, and Harry would almost lose, before sending the ball at his intended target. This made the attack much more ineffective because of the dissipated magic. Now, thanks to his fireball juggling training, he had learned how to harness his flames better than ever before.

His Spirit Energy training, on the other hand, was very rough going, seeing as he was left exhausted after every session with Angelo, who would make him deplete his Spirit Energy reserves by raising shields, which were then summarily broken. This, of course, had advantages, and disadvantages. The advantages were that Harry would learn from his mistakes and create stronger shields, that his reserves would increase tremendously. The disadvantage was that it hurt. A lot.

'_Don't be such a crybaby. Power doesn't come from nowhere._' Bob scolded. _'Voldemort and Dumbledore didn't just sprout from thin air, already powerful and knowledgeable. No. They worked their asses off.'_

Harry still vividly remembered the duel between Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle, the day Sirius died. The two made dueling look like an art form. All Harry knew at the time were basic stunning hexes, disarming charms, and other, very low level spells. He'd felt completely useless in that fight.

He distantly remembered his peers looking at him with respect and a slight fear of the abilities he'd shown them. If only they knew how far he had yet to go...

'_Even_ _Dhoulmagus was already powerful enough to defeat King Trode's guards, and this is even before he got that wretched scepter._' Bob added for good measure.

'Okay, okay. I get it. No pain no gain.' Harry whined, exasperated.

They were currently sitting around a campfire, gorging on some well cooked stew à la Trode.

"This hardly seems a likely place for treasure." Angelo concurred, his blue eyes narrowing in thought. "I think we may be barking up the wrong tree here."

"You're both right." Dante sighed feeling content, the bowl laying forgotten next to him. "Wandering around in the mountains is a colossal waste of time. Dhoulmagus is getting farther by the second."

"Our good fortune seems to have ended." Jessica, who sat next to Harry, said sadly, drawing some solemn nods from the rest of the group. All except Harry.

Something about what she said got his attention.

"Could you repeat that?" He requested. Jessica did so.

"Good fortune..." Harry mouthed, feeling like he was missing something. The cogs in his mind quickly linked the word 'fortune' to a certain man they'd come across. His eyes went wide for a moment, before he schooled his expression.

Dante caught on quickly. "You think he would know?"

"_Who_ would know?" Jessica cut in. "I don't follow."

"Oh, right." Dante looked a bit sheepish. "It's like this..." And he told the tale of the fortune-teller Kalderasha, who had given up his powers because he'd caused a poor girl's parent's death.

"It turns out, the source of his powers was the crystal ball he had thrown away in a waterfall near the town of Fareburry." Dante said, remembering their encounter against Geyzer. "We got it back, and with some convincing, Kalderasha became a fortune-teller again. To be honest, I wouldn't have remembered it if Harry didn't. It truly does feel as if an age had passed."

"What makes you so sure that this..." Angelo sniffed disdainfully. "Fortune-teller will even want to help us?"

"I see no reason he shouldn't." Harry replied confidently.

"I'm with 'Arry and the guv on this one." Yangus backed him up, having already met the fortune-teller, and seeing that his fortune had indeed proved true, since Dhoulmagus did pass through where Kalderasha said the jester would.

"It certainly couldn't hurt." Jessica agreed as well.

"Then it's settled." Dante declared. "We head to Fareburry first thing tomorrow."

**oooooooooo**

_Fareburry..._

"This place hasn't changed much." Dante commented while walking through the streets of the town.

"It certainly brings back memories, though." Harry said with a smile, which was shared by Dante and Yangus. The three led Jessica and Angelo through the upper section of the town, which was a bit hard to navigate through, though it wasn't anywhere near the maze that Pickham was.

"So where is this Kalderasha fellow?" Angelo asked curiously, as the group walked past a bar. Music could be heard from inside.

"If I remember right..." Dante said before turning to the right. "After this, we reach a well, and in front of that is his door."

True enough, the well was there, and so was the door.

"Here we go." He knocked on the door.

A while passed before the door was opened, revealing a familiar face.

"Oh, hello!" The voice of the purple haired Valentina rang, her eyes shining with happiness.

"Hello." The group all said together.

"You've come back." She looked like she couldn't believe it. "How nice to see you!" She eyed their two new companions with curiosity.

"Oh, excuse our manners." Harry said sheepishly, before motioning towards Jessica and Angelo. "These two are our friends Angelo and Jessica."

"Hello." The two said, and shook Valentina's hand.

"It's nice to see you too, Valentina." Dante said finally. "Can we come in?"

"Oh, sorry!" She apologized bashfully, and let them in. The place was exactly as Harry remembered it. The crystal ball stood proudly on a large round table in the center of the entrance room, which was decorated with various odd items.

"How've you all been doing?" Harry asked, as he joined his friends at the table in the kitchen. Valentina came over with a tray full of a variety of sweets, setting it down in front of them. Yangus began to help himself.

"Things have become wonderful ever since you helped us!" Valentina answered with gratitude. "My father is so passionate about his fortune-telling again now. It's really wonderful to see!"

She chuckled, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"I'm even starting to worry that he might be working himself a little too hard."

"Speaking of," Dante cut in. "Where is he now? We need his guidance again, if it's not too much trouble."

"Oh, he went off to get some milk from the shop. I'm sure he'll be back pretty so-"

They heard the front door open. Valentina stopped and smiled.

"He is here." She got up, and made for the entrance, the group following her.

"Valentina!" They heard him call out before reaching the entrance. "I couldn't find any milk-" He took note of their presence.

"Ah, you have returned?" Kalderasha said. Time had done wonders to his appearance. When they'd met him, he'd been drowning himself in alcohol, and didn't bother taking care of himself. He looked better than ever, now.

"Welcome back, father." Valentina smiled. He nodded at her, before regarding the group.

"...Hmm." He voiced, before sitting in front of his crystal ball. "I sense you have not come to me for a social visit."

"Um, yes." Dante said, feeling a bit ashamed at that.

"Very well." He accepted. "As it is for you, I will not accept any payment."

"None of that." Kalderasha cut off Dante's protests. "You are the ones who helped me piece my life back together! Your coin is of no use here."

"All right." Dante gave up, knowing not to fight a losing battle like that.. "What we're looking for is-"

"Ah, you do not need to tell me anything, my friend. My crystal ball will show me everything." Kalderasha held his hands over the clear crystal ball, and it began to shine and hum.

"What will it show today...? Hmm.." He closed his eyes in concentration.

"Yes! Yeeeessss! The mists are clearing." Kalderasha said. "I see... A castle!"

'_A castle?_' Bob repeated.

"I see a castle... And a young king." Kalderasha added. "He is smiling happily. The thing you seek is with him."

The fortune-teller opened his eyes.

"...Hmm. That is all I can tell you." Kalderasha said. "The rest you must figure out for yourselves."

"Thank you." Dante said, grateful for his help. "I wish we could stay, but-"

"I understand." Kalderasha cut him off, looking at Jessica and Angelo knowingly. "Dhoulmagus has made many suffer." He said mysteriously, leaving Angelo and Jessica wide-eyed.

Dante simply shook the man's hand, and left, his friends following him.

Once outside Fareburry, the group reconvened with King Trode, telling him of Kalderasha's divination.

"As always, the great Kalderasha finds the answers." King Trode nodded happily.

"I'm glad we saw the two again." Harry commented, smiling.

"Aye." Yangus said. "It's good to 'ave seen Kalderasha an' Valentina lookin' so 'appy. It's a relief, really. I was a bit worried about 'em before, truth be told."

"It was the same for all of us." Dante said.

"A castle and a young king." Harry changed the subject, drawing their attention to the task at hand. "Seems pretty obvious, doesn't it?"

They all nodded and stood around Harry.

"Back to Ascantha Castle we go!" Harry said. "_Zoom!_" They blasted off to their destination.

It took quite a while, even at high speeds, but Ascantha Castle eventually came into view, and they landed at its entrance, choosing to make their way to the throne room, rather than land on the highest tower and make their way down.

The reason? It would be disrespectful and shameful to do so.

With that in mind, they passed through the Castle's corridors, hallways and stairs, until they finally reached the King's throne room.

King Pavan sat on the throne, with his Minister at his left side. The two took note of the group's presence, their eyes shining with delighted surprise.

"...Ah!" King Pavan stood up to greet them. He took Dante's hand. "What a pleasant surprise! It's so nice to see you all back at my humble home."

He bowed his head to the young man, surprising him.

'_It's not every day you see a king bow to a lowly castle guard_.' Bob said curiously. Harry snorted, knowing that Dante was anything but lowly. Humble, yes.

"I'll never forget that day you brought the vision of my dear Sasha to me..." He said gratefully. "I cannot thank you enough."

He disengaged and stepped back, his eyes taking them all in.

"So!" King Pavan finally said. "What brings you to my kingdom on this fine and sunny day?"

"Well, we are looking for a harp which comes from the land of Moonshadow." Dante explained. "We need it so we can chase after Dhoulmagus."

King Pavan studied them for a few seconds, taking their words into consideration.

"I see." He said. "The Moonshadow Harp is indeed in Ascantha." He closed his eyes. "It has been one of our treasures since ancient times."

He looked conflicted for a moment, weighing his options.

Finally, he looked at them.

"But I cannot deny my honor friends' request." He said, smiling jovially at them. "It would be my pleasure to give it to you."

He motioned for them to follow.

"It is locked securely away in the vault below the castle." He explained. "Allow me to escort you there."

And he led them down to the entrance room, with the small gardens and the large fountain in the center.

'_This should be interesting._' Bob thought, and Harry gave a mental nod.

King Pavan held something in his hand.

"This." He showed them a small green gem. "Brooch has been passed down through many generations of the royal family."

"Here we are..." He tossed it in the water. It sank down to the center, and the bottom glowed green, before opening up a sinkhole, which sucked all the water out. The group glanced curiously at the center of the fountain. There was now a hole in the center, with a wooden ladder to go downwards.

"Wicked."

"The vault is just below us." King Pavan said with a grin and made his way down. "Come with me."

The walk was quite short, and they all reached a large room filled with treasure chests. Only one problem.

"...I don't believe it!" King Pavan stammered, looking shocked. "How can this be!?"

All the chests were empty, and there seemed to be a hole in the wall, leading to who knows where.

The King looked distressed as he made his way to the hole in the wall, studying it.

"It must be the work of thieves!" He said, looking angry. Harry didn't know the man had it in him.

"I will not stand for this!" He yelled, before composing himself, and turning to the group.

"...It appears that the unthinkable has happened, and the Moonshadow harp has been stolen." King Pavan said morosely, looking back at the hole. "The culprits could still be inside this tunnel."

He looked down. "It's too dangerous for you to go after them. You mustn't set foot inside."

"I will summon the castle guards." He said determinedly, looking back at them. "They'll get the harp back! You mark my words!" King Pavan rushed out of the room, leaving the group looking at the hole in the wall.

"I knew it was too good to be true." Angelo said with annoyance. "It was all going so well, too..."

"Wot're we waitin' for, guv!" Yangus said. "Let's go after 'em!"

"But what about what the King said?" Jessica asked, though he never planned on following the man's orders.

"Nothing is too dangerous for the likes of us." Dante grinned, a move which was mirrored by the rest of the group.

"Besides, counting on Pavan's soldiers will not help us any. They haven't had any proper battles for years!" Angelo said.

"In the hole we go, then..." Harry said, before they all entered the hole in the wall.

It was a system of many interlinked caves, Harry realized.

"A bloke could easily get lost in here." He said.

"I reckon we're after a whole bunch o' people." Yangus commented idly, "Ya couldn't make such a whoppin' great tunnel on yer tod. Better be prepared for 'em."

"Urgh!" Jessica spat. "I absolutely hate thieves! How dare they take people's treasures like this!?"

"Yeah!" Yangus agreed nervously. "Who do they think they are, eh!?"

'_Said the master bandit himself_.' Bob jibed, and Harry couldn't stop the amused smile from forming.

"They're animals." Jessica said. "Animals! I wish I could lay out little traps for them like we do for rats back at the mansion!"

When she finally realized what exactly she was saying, she profusely apologized to Yangus, who simply waved it off, saying that he had a lot to atone for. They navigated through the tunnel ways, reaching dead ends and having to double back in many cases. Harry reasoned that these were made so as to confuse their chasers and throw them off their track. It took a while, but they spotted light at the end of one of the tunnels, and exited the underground caves.

"These must be some pretty dedicated thieves, if they knew exactly where the treasure room was, and where to dig to reach it." Angelo said and dusted himself off. "And, I was right when I said that we shouldn't count on Pavan's soldiers! No sign of them anywhere."

"I'll say." Dante managed a smile and knelt to examine the ground. "Here, see these? The tracks are still fresh. Seems our friends headed north."

He looked at his partners. "Let's move."

The group wasted no time, jogging through the vast grasslands in chase of whoever had the guts to take the kingdom's treasured heirloom. Some wolf-like humanoids tried to get in the way, but Harry simply waved his hand, and tore them to pieces with his wind magic, the ease with which he did unnerving him deeply. But there was no time to think about that now, he had to focus on getting that harp. He would deal with it later, after all this strife is over with.

The tracks, it seemed, led to a very large cave entrance in a nearby mountain range to the north of Ascantha Castle.

"Do you hear that?" Angelo asked, and everyone stopped to listen. There was the general noise of the wilderness, and something else emanating from the cave. Some horrible music being played.

"It sounds awful." Dante said, suppressing a grimace at the awful sounds.

"Well at least we know where the harp is." Harry tried to see the silver lining.

"It sounds like a monstrous dragon howling," Jessica said. "Or a hellish demon shrieking."

"No sense in waiting here," Dante pointed out, and entered the cave, the rest following him.

The cave, as it turned out, looked like nothing they had expected. It was completely different from those tunnel pathways they went through before. This looked more like an underground city or something.

At that moment, an upright mole carrying a shovel walked by them, paying their presence no heed.

"...Did I just see that?" Harry asked the others for confirmation. They nodded.

"Okay then."

They explored this underground city, seeing many of those mole creatures happily hopping along, or digging around to expand their city. One such mole took note of their presence and hopped to them.

"So what do you think of our hole!?" It said excitedly with a squeak. "I bet humans couldn't build something like this! Moles are cool, see! Do you dig it!?" It said before going back to its work.

Dante groaned at the pun. It seems he couldn't escape these no matter how hard he tried.

"...Guv." Yangus began uncertainly. "I'm wond'rin' if maybe this ain't where the 'ideout is? There's somefin' a bit too cozy about this place..."

"I would be thinking the exact same thing," Harry said. "If it weren't for that absolutely dreadful racket being played."

"True." Yangus looked sheepish at that.

As the sound seemed to be coming from downwards, the group descended further and further into this mole city, passing by many of their residents. A small group of them decided to approach them.

"Humans? In here!?" One asked, hefting its shovel over its shoulder menacingly, but it only looked ridiculous to Harry.

"It doesn't matter." One other said, distressed. "Maybe they can make the boss snap out of it and stop playing that awful harp!"

"Don't say that about the boss! He's got great skills! He just... needs a little practice, that's all!"

"Look, he's always had his moments, but this is getting ridiculous!" The second one objected. "He's been going at that harp every day since he got it! At this rate, we're going to die from ear failure!"

He turned to the group. "Please! You have to stop him!"

"Umm..." Dante said uncertainly, looking at their hopeful eyes. "We will."

"Thank you!" They happily scampered away, leaving the group to continue searching for the source of the noise. As the minutes wore on, Harry noted that the noise was getting stronger and stronger, an indication that they were getting closer to the source. They eventually reached the source of the noise, which was in a large cavernous room at the deepest part of the cave.

A very large, fat mole with hair that resembled a pineapple tree was playing a truly horrible tune on an elegant silver harp. Its underlings were on their knees before it, their hands slapped onto their ears, groaning pitifully every time it stroked its hands on the harp's strings. It stopped, suddenly, and lifted its fist up in the air.

"Whoa-oa-oa! Sounds good! I knew that it would!" It said in a sing-song voice.

'_It's as obnoxious when it's talking as when it's playing that harp_.' Bob dryly noted.

"Yeah! Papa's got a brand new toy!" It continued. "This harp makes me sound hotter than ever, baby!"

Its underlings looked at each other for a few moments, thinking if they should object, but they decided to look down.

"All those years tunnelin' to the castle!" The boss mole said. "But y'all stayed on the scene... Like a diggin' machine!"

They didn't answer.

"Hey, come on, fellas!" The boss urged them to say something. "What's with the silence? Oh, I get it! My groove's so hip it's got y'all speechless, huh!?" He began playing the harp again, making everyone cringe at the terrible music.

"We can't take it anymore! Somebody has to get that harp off him!" One of the underlings hissed out, before it looked at one of its unmoving companions.

"You smart dog, you!" It patted its companion on the back. "Forced yourself to go unconscious, did you?"

Another mole lay in the fetus position constantly crying out: "Please stop."

The group of allies looked at each other, not believing their own situation. Finally, Dante shook his head and approached the boss mole. It seemed to notice his presence, as it stopped playing the harp.

"...Huh?" It looked at him. "Hey, you guys! This is a mole's world! But I wouldn't be nothin', _nothin'_ without an audience. Wanna dig my funky tune?"

"Uh...!" Dante stepped back, unsure if he should answer yes or no. He weighed his options. If he said no, it could get angry and decide to kill them. If he said yes, it would play that awful tune, and possibly decide to kill them anyway.

"No. I don't think we will." Angelo cut in coldly, not wanting to deal with this nonsense any longer. "You have something we need, and we're here to take it back."

"...You come to steal my harp!?" It suddenly snarled at them. "That ain't hip!"

It got up, and flexed its muscles. "I'm ready to get up and do my thing! Hit me now!"

Angelo made to attack it, but the giant mole began to wildly play the harp. Its screeching noise became a hundred times worse than it was before, forcing them all to their knees. Seeing their reactions, it grabbed at some nearby rocks and threw them at the group. Harry and his friends were too dazed to fully dodge the attack, if even at all. Yangus seemed to have taken the full brunt of the attack and blacked out, while Dante, Jessica and Angelo had all been incapacitated by it. The latter three, however, were quick at work with their healing spells, and would soon rejoin Harry in the fight.

The Boy Who Lived wasted no time, and began an attack that would hopefully stall the boss in the worst case scenario, and severely incapacitate it, if not kill it in the best case scenario. He extended both arms, palms extended, and shot a stream of crimson flame at the monster, concentrating as he did so. The trick to this attack was that he would send invisible blades of wind from the edges of the roaring fire, masking any signs of its presence until it was much too late for the monster to react.

As expected, it attempted to step back from the flames, but was taken completely off guard by the blades of wind, that managed to cut somewhat deeply into its arms and legs. It yelled out in pain, making Harry stop his spell and observe his handiwork. He had thought his spells were pretty strong, having torn through many trees with his wind blades. Yet on this monster, the damage done was relatively small.

'_Perhaps these monsters have a resistance for magical attacks?_' Bob suggested, and Harry agreed, knowing there was probably no other explanation for that.

It glared at him, and he smirked in return.

"How do you like my 'wind blades lurking within the flames'?" Harry asked cheekily, but frowned. "Maybe I should find a better name for it."

It tried playing the harp once more in an attempt to incapacitate him, but was interrupted by a powerful light emanating from behind Harry. All of a sudden, a positively gigantic ball of flame, five times the size of Harry's _Frizzle_ (which was about as big as 3 soccer balls), slammed into the boss mole, exploding on impact.

Harry looked around wildly for the source of such powerful magic, seeing Jessica and Angelo, both with their arms extended and palms out. Dante was carrying a beaten up, but still conscious Yangus over his shoulder.

"What the hell was that!?" Harry shouted over to them, impressed.

"Combined... Attack." Angelo breathed out. "We were going... to teach this to you as you progressed."

Harry nodded at them, and looked back in the direction of the boss mole. When the smoke from the combination attack cleared, the giant mole was seen sprawled on its back, unable to stand, and looking very badly burned. Its minions snapped out of whatever trance they were in, rushing to their boss' aid.

"Boss!" They all yelled. "Stay with it, boss!" They carried him away, most likely to get it some medical treatment. They left the harp behind, and Harry picked it up, before turning to his friends. Angelo, Jessica and Dante were a little bruised, but it was nothing that couldn't be easily fixed. Yangus, on the other hand, had a boulder smashed against his body, so he probably wasn't all right. The fact that he was even conscious and still standing— albeit with the help of Dante— was a testament to the man's toughness.

"Are you guys all right?" Harry approached them all.

"If I 'ad to 'ear just one more note outta that mole, I'm sure it would've finished me off!" Yangus tried to laugh, but winced instead. "But we made it through, didn't we? We got the Moonshadow 'arp back, an' all!"

Everyone smiled at that. It looked like things were finally going their way. They took their time to treat each other's wounds, and made their way back to Ascantha Castle.

**oooooooooo**

The group wasted no time, and rushed to King Pavan's throne room to tell him of the news. Once they were there, they saw him seated at his throne, a squad of soldiers bowing before him. He took note of their presence, and smiled.

"Sorry for the delay!" He said. "We're now going to summon the-"

He finally noticed their current appearance. Their clothing was caked with dirt and grime, and they'd looked like they'd been through the ringer, having the bruises and cuts to prove it.

"What on Earth happened to you!?" He looked distressed at their appearance, but Dante waved it off.

"Well," The bandana wearing young man started. "We decided to take matters into our own hands, and got the harp quickly."

"...Goodness!" King Pavan exclaimed. "You went after the thieves and retrieved the Moonshadow harp all by yourselves!?"

"Yes." There wasn't much else they could say, now could they?

"Why did you put yourselves in such danger!?" He scolded, before his features changed into an impressed look. "That said... I can't deny that I'm impressed! Well done! You never cease to amaze me!"

"We do our best." Harry waved off his praise. He wasn't in it for the glory, after all; though a bit of gratitude certainly made his life much lighter somehow.

"I always seem to put you to so much trouble, though." King Pavan said with a pained face. "Well, I'm glad that you're all right, at any rate. And that you've got the Moonshadow harp safely back in your hands."

Harry made to give it to the King, but Pavan simply pushed it back.

"Naturally, it now belongs to you, as I promised." He smiled at them. "Please, do take care on your travels. I'll be praying that you keep safe."

"Thank you." The band of misfits said gratefully, and bowed, before leaving the castle to reconvene with King Trode and get back to Trodain. The king took the news pretty well, judging from his excited expression, and urged them to head back to Trodain as quickly as possible. They did as asked.

They made their way to the Moonshadow doorway, which opened for them and bathed them in light. When the light faded, they found themselves on a familiar platform.

"No matter how many times I come here, I can't shake the feeling that I'm in a dream." Jessica said, looking around. "It's all so beautiful and surreal."

"It is." Harry agreed softly, and the two shared a look.

"Now we'll see the 'miraculous' Moonshadow harp in action." Angelo had an excited look in his eyes. "I can hardly contain myself. Ishmahri, after all, isn't tone-deaf or a mole."

"That he isn't." Dante chuckled with mirth, and they walked across the platforms to Ishmahri's home.

The elf in question was already waiting for them, eyes closed in meditation. They approached him slowly, so as not to disturb him.

"I have witnessed the passing of many moons," He began, opening his eyes, "but never before have I felt time pass so slowly."

"I see the outcome of your quest from the brightness in your eyes." He smiled at them. "You have retrieved the Moonshadow harp."

Ishmahri extended his hand to them. "Please show it to me. The mighty instrument that will rouse the memory of the ocean."

'_This guy has a penchant to talk grandly..._' Bob thought.

Harry made to give Ishmahri the harp, but it glowed and floated away from him, into the waiting arms of the blue haired elf. He regarded it curiously and with fondness.

"...This harp has travelled far, just as you have." Ishmahri said kindly, "I did not imagine it would ever find its way into my hands again."

"Now," He looked at them, "Let us attend to the task at hand. Let us go to the ship. Music will awaken it from its slumber and set it sailing once more."

He strummed his fingers against the Moonshadow harp, and everything was enveloped in light, making Harry shield his eyes. When the light faded, Harry found himself in the desert, standing in front of the ancient ship. Curiously enough, Dante, Yangus, Angelo, Jessica, Medea and King Trode stood next to him, all as confused as he was.

Ishmahri stood before them, before he turned to the ship.

"W-what's going on!?" King Trode made to follow the elf, but was held back by Yangus. "How did we..."

Ishmahri walked to the ancient magic ship, placing his hand on its hull. He lowered his head in respect.

"This ship," He said, "The Moonshadow harp and myself, we are all the same. We are all from the old world."

"The old world?" Harry repeated, but his voice did not carry over to anyone else.

Ishmahri turned to face them. "I must thank you for reuniting us ancient ones."

He began playing the Moonshadow harp, and the desert changed all of a sudden. Images of fish began to fade in and out of existence.

"...Come to me, times past. Come to me, ancient ocean. Return once more..."

A puddle of water appeared around the blue haired elf, but nothing more. He frowned. Why was it not working?

Ishmahri stopped, and so did everything else. He looked a bit shocked, if not disbelieving.

"Eh!?" Yangus looked curious. "Is this 'arp duff, an' all?"

"...No!" Ishmahri exclaimed. "Can it really be beyond even the Moonshadow harp? Ah, but wait..."

Medea showed her frustration by standing on her hind legs and harshly stomping the ground she stood on. Ishmahri regarded her curiously, before approaching her. He caressed her mane of hair.

"Forgive my ignorance." He apologized with a smile. "At first, I saw only a horse. But now I see that you are truly a noble princess." He closed his eyes in contemplation.

"...Of course." He opened his eyes. "Magic begins with a word. Music begins with a voice. The beautiful voice of this cursed princess is all this great instrument needs to play its music."

He bowed in respect to Medea. "Princess, please come to my aid. Sing with me." Ishmahri requested.

And he began playing the harp once more, while Medea started whinnying along with the music. Harry thought it sounded pretty good, considering that horses can't really sing...

This time, an incredible deluge of water emerged from Ishmahri, instantly filling the desert they stood on. Many fish of all kinds swam freely through the ancient ocean. The ancient ship itself seemed to re-energize itself as any damage that was on it reversed itself, leaving it looking as good as new. It began to float to the surface of the ocean. Ishmahri's hand briefly glowed, and he waved at the ship, making a set of ethereal stairs appear.

The group looked at the elf, who only nodded at them. Dante gave a bow, the others mirroring his move, before they all walked up the staircase, looking around them in pure wonder.

Harry looked back at the blue haired elf, realizing that this was probably the last time they would see the kind elf. He had so many questions to ask him.

'Fret not, Harry Potter.' Ishmahri's voice rang in his head.

'_You can enter our minds!?_' Bob stammered out.

'I can do many things, Harry Potter..' The elf assured them with a kind smile.

'_I have a name_.' Bob seemed somewhat irritated. Harry was silent through this.

'Ah yes.. Bob, the spirit fragment. But that is not why I'm here.' Ishmahri corrected himself. 'Harry Potter. You must have many questions for me. But I cannot answer them. I can only help guide you forward in your quest to return to your home.' He said mysteriously.

'You know a way back? Tell me!' Harry pleaded, eager to return home.

'I do not know how.' Ishmahri said truthfully. Harry was about to say something, but Ishmahri continued. 'I only know that you need to remain with your friends, only then can you find the way to your home.'

The elf got an unreadable look in his eyes. 'I say your home, but it was my home as well. A long time ago, when humans and elves walked alongside each other, like equals.' He extended his hand to Harry, and the Boy Who Lived felt something pierce his right earlobe. He gave a wince at the feeling, before looking back at the elf with a bit of irritation.

'What the hell was that!?' Harry almost shouted in his mind. He felt at his earlobe; it seemed the elf had given him an earring.

'A crescent moon earring, representing the land of the Moonshadow.' Ishmahri clarified. 'It is a gift to Harry Potter, ally of the elves of the old world.'

"What're you waiting for, Harry?" Dante's voice called out, snapping Harry out of his trance. He gave the elf one final look, before nodding and turning to follow his friends.

They finally reached the ship, and looked down at Ishmahri, who stared up at them with a smile.

"Now it is time for us to part. I will sing to bless your journey on the ancient ocean, my children..." He began to disappear into nothingness as he spoke. The ship began moving out of the desert, its many long paddles moving of their own accord.

"Stone the crows!" Yangus exclaimed, looking at a loss. "Wot the 'ell 'appened back there!?"

King Trode jumped and knocked him on the head.

"Stop your ridiculous blithering!" King Trode said. "This is all thanks to my precious Medea!"

"Yeah, well," Yangus looked abashed. "At least we got the boat up and runnin' now, eh!? Nice!"

"Don't you think it's a bit early to be congratulating ourselves?" Jessica cut in, looking serious. "We still have a lot to do. Like going after Dhoulmagus. Remember?"

"That's why we went to so much effort to get the ship in the first place." She pointed out, arms crossed and frowning at them. The ship was now on the actual ocean's surface, the ancient ocean having went back where it came from.

"Who knows where he could be right now?" Harry added, and Jessica stared at him curiously for a moment, her eyes landing on an ornate silver crescent moon earring hanging from his right ear. He fingered it for a moment, realizing what she was looking at. He gave her a look, telling her they'd speak of it later.

"Well, if Dhoulmagus has left the eastern continent..." Angelo said, drawing their attention. "We'll just need to chase him west wards and see if we can't catch up with him there."

Dante only nodded, happy that they could all resume their journey.

"Right then! It's decided!" King Trode hopped happily. "We sail for the west! Get to it!"

**oooooooooo**

And that's Chapter 17! I had a lot of trouble writing this one for some reason. Massive case of writer's block is what I'm thinking, but at least I got through with it.

Anyway, R&R please :)


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